The Flower of the Musketeers
by sunrise93
Summary: There's a new face in Paris come for D'Artagnan's, and consequently the Musketeers, help once again turning their world upside down. Aramis becomes wrapped in a knot with this new player, fighting between what he wants and what he doesn't believe he can have. Aramis/OC pairing from 2011 film. Rated for adult themes, various drunkenness and later chapters which will hold smut ;)
1. Chapter 1

For anyone who is under any false assumptions I do not and have never held any rights to this movie, book or franchise, I wish I did but sadly I don't, just the odd OC or two. I make no money off of this work, it is quite literally my insane imagination running wild so enjoy and try not to take anything I write too seriously.

This fanfic is also my first one so please be nice and review if you can and remember I'm not making you read this so if you don't like anything you don't have to continue reading.

Chapter 1:

It was D'Artagnan's 19th Birthday and The Three Musketeers had decided to celebrate, taking him out for a drink or two… well more like nine or ten as it turned out. It was getting quite late and they were all somewhat jubilant and drunk, laughing at anything and everything that caught their fancy. Empty bottles of wine were strewn across the floor and table tops of the corner table which the four had occupied since the early hours of the afternoon in the old inn which they regularly frequented. Dirty looks had been thrown at them from various other patrons and Pierre, the inn keeper, all night for their boisterous attitude, several times they had been told to quiet down by one of the serving maids who was then proceeded to be reprimanded by the innkeeper. Pierre wished that the four men would either quiet down or leave, but wanted them there for as extended amount of time as possible, so long as they paid their bill and didn't vomit on the floor. The rest of the clientele were slowly leaving the four in the corner to their merrymaking seeing as how they couldn't get them to shut up, the remaining had now resigned to either ignoring them or to leave for their much wanted beds, deciding it was a lost cause.

"More wine!" D'Artagnan exclaimed lifting his half empty cup into the air.

Porthos rose form the table to buy the next round, much to everyone's relief; he always seemed to be absent when it was his round. As he stood, Porthos smacked his forehead with more force he intended, unbalancing himself and sending his large body tripping over his now unoccupied seat and onto the floor with a loud thud.

As Athos, Aramis and D'Artagnan roared with laughter Porthos managed to get out;

"Don't have a purse", which most defiantly stopped all laughter at the table.

"Now see here Porthos" Athos said slurring quite a bit, "We've been lettin' you get ov o' gettin' drinks all night. Is yer tern now."

"But I don't got one" Porthos said from his position on the ground.

D'Artagnan and Aramis had been sitting at the table giggling (in a manly way of course) at the antics of the two, but it was time D'Artagnan decided it was his turn to speak up.

"How could you have possibly forgotten' your purse big guy?" He said with a lopsided grin.

"Was robbed" said Porthos pouting like a child, crossing his arms over his chest, still seated on the floor.

Athos choked on his wine.

"Ye were what?" Aramis asked in shock.

"I was bloody robbed is what happened all right" Porthos said finally getting up off of the ground but stayed standing, not trusting the tipped chair in his drunken state, searching among the empty bottles trying to combine the last drops in each into a single bottle.

"How?" Athos spluttered.

"Yes, how would someone get a leg over on the great Porthos I wonder" Aramis laughed and almost fell off his chair himself. "The girl probably got him while he was sleeping it off".

"No some chit didn' get to me, kid ran up, bumped into me and quick as could be was off again, didn't know what happened" Porthos tried to explain waving his arms around for emphasis, two bottles clutched in one hand and a half full in the other, spilling some in the process.

"'scuse me?" Athos asked.

"Yeah, was kinda like you" he said pointing at D'Artagnan.

"Me?" D'Artagnan pointed at himself as well placing his new boot-clad feet on the table between them.

"Yeah 'sept I couldn't catch him"

"Strange" Athos said looking into his half-full cup of wine, "I had a similar experience yesterday"

"Some kid stole your money too? It's a disgrace kids stealing, should be workin'." Porthos was working himself into a state, whilst conveniently forgetting all the misdeeds of stealing and law breaking he had done in his time. He even stomped one of his large boot clad feet to Aramis' glee.

"No, no, no. Some street rat bumped int' me and spilled wine all over my pants, were my favourite pants too." Athos said the last part into his cup but D'Artagnan still heard from his seat next to him and snorted loudly, gaining a glare from Athos.

"Well someone completely disregarded one of my citations yesterday morning, they discarded it, choosing to relinquish it to the rear of my cranium when my posterior was turned, then proceeded to ride off before I could formulate a coherent sentence" Aramis said, a look of confusion on his face at why someone would do such a thing.

_Well I think I would like this person_ D'Artagnan thought to himself but out loud he said; "A 'citation'?"

"It's a ticket fool, same as the one I gave you" Aramis stated.

"And 'formulatin' a coherent…'"

"He had the ticket thrown at the back of his head when he had his back to turned and they left before he could get a word in" Athos explained.

"Oh… and these people all got away from the great Three Musketeers?" D'Artagnan said laughing.

Athos reached over and tipped up D'Artagnan's chair so that he fell backwards, sprawling across the ground. The Three Musketeers roared with laughter once more.

"I think we're all havin' an off week" Porthos choked through his laughter.

D'Artagnan went to say something from his position on the floor but then the distinct ringing sound of steel on steel reached their ears. The four looked around the inn to find that they were the last patrons and the innkeeper had disappeared.

"What's that?" D'Artagnan asked the empty room.

"May as well have a look" Athos replied rising from his chair and walking to the front entrance, the others trailing behind to investigate.

* * *

As they entered the courtyard Aramis drunkenly tripped over an unconscious body of a guardsman and bashed into the broad back of Porthos, squishing his nose, making him bounce back and fall on his behind. Porthos took no notice of this, neither did Athos or D'Artagnan, their eyes were fixed on the source of the clanging steel. Rubbing his nose Aramis got to his feet, swaying slightly, just for his mouth to drop open at the sight before him; there was the kid that had thrown the citation at the back of his head! Or at least he thought it was, the child's hat and height were consistent, and yes that was the black beast from hell which had tried to bite him tied up at the fence.

_Yeah that's defiantly him_, Aramis thought.

Aramis' eyes were drawn back to the fray and he realised that there was another lifeless body on the ground by the gate. Peering around Porthos he saw the little thing fighting and his drink muddled brain stopped.

On the other hand, all Porthos could think on was; _no upper body strength, legs like a girl, would look good on a girl though, wouldn't mind them wrapped around me if it was a girl._

Athos' musings were more along the lines of; _I must have drunk too much 'cause the boy looks like he's dancing with that guard, not choppin' him up, need more practice on thrusting and targeting vital organs with punctures, kids not taking the opportunities he's given, owes me a pair of pants too._

D'Artagnan just stood there with a slight frown on his face while he tried to concentrate;_ I've seen those moves before… I know I have._

Aramis registering what was happening saw the child's grace, speed and also the fact that the kid seemed to be aware of the openings it was given, but chose to incapacitate its opponent rather than kill. The feeling of respect for the little creature welled inside of him at these actions, much to his disbelief.

All four just stood and stared as the small kid went toe to toe with the trained city guard, who was at least a head and a half taller than itself, parrying and feigning until an opening was created but refusing to take the opportunity to thrust the tip of the rusted sword into the guards side, instead going for the shoulders and arms until the guard became too exhausted and began making more and more mistakes.

"Kid has stamina" Porthos grunted breaking the semi-silence.

"Huh" the others grunted back in agreement.

The two continued their dance of death, the kid continuing to ware down the more experienced opponent. The guard, growing desperate, threw a wild swing at the kid's head which was ducked under, but the guard still managed to knock off his hat, sending it tumbling to the dusty ground, releasing a cascade of curly brown hair down the kids back all the way to its waist. The guard froze at this new development, the kid took the opportunity to throw a quick kick to the mans groin, dropping him to his knees, before sending a swift jab with a closed fist to his nose followed by slamming the hilt of its sword down on the top of the guards head, knocking him out cold. The four continued to stand there gaping as the kid bent down to grab her hat, twisting the hair to the side and over her shoulder revealing her pale features in the light of the full moon.

_Is a girl, damn, if her tits look half as good as her legs, mind would have to look out for weapons, shit how old is she, cant be more'n fifteen, get me in trouble that one, Sucrebleu she would get a man in trouble, be almost worth it though if she didn't kill you herself…_Porthos' thoughts continued to go round in circles

_Almost looks familiar,_ Athos' mind was slowly working through his drunken thoughts trying the come to the conclusion which continued to evade him.

_Beautiful_, was all Aramis could think while watching the youthful woman in front of him brush dirt off her hat, _absolutely __magnifique but she would never want me, if only…_

And it finally clicked in D'Artagnan's fogged mind why the victorious adolescent in front of him was so familiar.

"Poppy?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took so long, I have had it written for a while now and I could give you the whole spiel of reason but the main one is that I'm just lazy. I promise to have them up faster though and I already have the next few chapters written so there isn't much of an excuse except that editing is annoying. Anyway enough of my ramblings, your not here to listen to my insanity….well you are, but a different kind.**

**Oh and juti; shhh, you'll give away my secretsJ.**

* * *

"Poppy?"

Philippine turned towards her new assailant, arms trembling with the weight of her rusted, stolen sword and from her earlier exertions with the three guards. She peered through the darkness at the newcomers looking for any weakness or advantage she might gain. Philippine could see from their sloughed forms and slightly swaying bodies that they were most likely drunk, but other than that the four were in fine form and with her body already over exerted she knew she had no way of winning a fight with these men.

Just as she had made her decision to run and find another inn in which to sleep, the voice which she found strangely familiar spoke out into the darkness once again.

"Poppy? Is that you?" D'Artagnan asked, stepping out into the light of the streetlamps.

"'Tagnan?" Poppy replied with shock dropping her stance and the rusted tip of her sword into the dirt at her feet.

D'Artagnan stumbled forward across the courtyard to hug the young woman, almost sending both of them into the dust with his momentum and lack of coordination.

"Poppy it's good ta see you" D'Artagnan said resting his chin on the top of Poppy's head.

Poppy sniffed, wrinkling her little button nose at D'Artagnan as she lent back slightly to look at his face.

"Are you drunk?" She asked; "you smell like you fell into a bottle of Fathers wine."

D'Artagnan laughed; "only a little and it's my birthday, our birthday, I can drink on my birthday can't I?"

Poppy was about to reprimand him for drinking too much and spending all his money on something so stupid, didn't he know that he could have brought new tack for Buttercup, or a new bow for the same money he must have wasted on drink. But before she could say anything someone loudly cleared their throat from where she left the first guard.

"Sorry to interrupt so rudely D'Artagnan, but who is this woman?" Athos asked.

D'Artagnan turned around to face the Three Musketeers, leading Philippine over in the process, much to her discomfort.

"Right, introductions, sorry, right. Philippine meet Athos, Porthos and Aramis; the Three Musketeers"

Poppy's mouth dropped open; "you mean…" she started but was cut off by D'Artagnan continuing excitedly with his introductions.

"My friends meet Philippine, Poppy, my twin sister."

* * *

Athos just nodded his head having come to the conclusion that they were related in some fashion.

Porthos stumbled back with a loudly exclaimed "What?" tripping over Aramis' leg before righting himself with a hand to one of the inn's supportive veranda beams.

Aramis didn't so much as notice the big man, his eyes widening in shock as he focused all his energy and willpower on keeping his eyes firmly focused on the girls face and not wander over her body as they had previously been doing when she had walked over.

D'Artagnan smiled at his ability to still shock the three and Poppy stood there staring at her feet blushing at the attention, wishing that they would stop staring at her like that.

"'Tagnan I need to talk with you" Poppy mumbled in a soft voice.

"After we celebrate, after all it's your birthday too" D'Artagnan said.

_Don't think about her, just don't think at all._ Aramis was chanting in his head, _don't think about her legs, or her hair twisted through your fingers flowing over your arms and her naked back, shit no, umm think about Porthos, yes, Porthos naked, ew, gross, no, Athos in a dress, yes that works, Athos and Porthos in dresses, Athos and Porthos in dresses dancing with D'Artagnan, D'Artagnan and his sister, Philippine, Poppy, Poppy moaning my name in the candlelight, shit, no, fuck. God forgive me._

"Aramis, you coming?" Athos asked from besides him, everyone else had moved to walk back into the inn, D'Artagnan still had one arm around Poppy's shoulders, more for balance than anything else but he still felt a pang of jealousy, with no knowledge as to the reason why.

Aramis realised he had been staring into space, lost in his own thoughts as everyone had moved around him.

"Coming" Aramis mumbled a little embarrassed, turning to follow his friends.

Porthos went to pull open the door but could not.

"The hell?" he said almost to himself as he tried again.

"What's the holdup?" asked Athos.

"Wont open" said Porthos.

"Kick it in" said D'Artagnan.

"'Tagnan I need to tell you…" Poppy tried to say.

"Don't kick it in, Pierre said he wouldn't serve us if we broke his door again" said Athos.

"Might be locked" said Aramis.

"Why would it be locked?" asked Porthos.

"Dunno, try knocking" suggested D'Artagnan.

"Would you lot shut up and go home!" Pierre yelled at them from an upper story window. The group moved back out to the courtyard to look up at the cranky innkeeper. "It's 2am and you've drunk all my wine! Go Home!"

"But our bags?" asked Athos.

"By the door" said Pierre.

"Our weapons?" asked Aramis.

"By the door."

"What about…" Porthos tried.

"It's by the bloody door, now go home!" and with that the now angry innkeeper slammed his shutters closed and went to bed muttering to himself.

Athos, always the semi-sensible one, went and picked up their things where they were stacked by the door, just as Pierre had said. He gave each pack to their perspective owners as he passed.

"Guess we should be going" Porthos sighed accepting his sword.

"But it's my birthday" said D'Artagnan, pouting like a child.

"Your birthday finished two hours ago" replied Aramis, trying to completely ignore Poppy from her position next to him, trying not to notice that she was almost two heads shorter than himself, and that she smelt slightly like roses even though she was very grubby. He tried and failed not to notice her high cheek bones and stubborn square jaw smudged with over a weeks worth of dirt, her long eyelashes or red full lips which she was currently chewing on, he failed at not noticing these things miserably.

"D'Artagnan, please. I need …" said Philippine releasing her bottom lip but was cut off once again.

"The guards are stirring" Porthos noticed the guard by the door was already gone while the third was struggling to sit up.

"We best go" said Athos.

"I think the other one's dead" stated D'Artagnan moving towards the lifeless guard only to be stopped by Poppy.

"D'Artagnan shut the hell up and just listen to me for one freaking minute!" Philippine was out of what little patience she had left. D'Artagnan just gaped at his sister at her use of language.

"Poppy…" he tried.

"No. No more talking, you listen to me this second. I have been in this city for three days now looking for you. Three days that I have been on the street stealing and asking everyone and anyone where you might be, and the answer is that everyone seems to know you personally but not know where you or your three bloody musketeer friends are. I'm hungry and I'm tired and I just want to go home but there may not be a home to go back to, which is why I'm here. Yet when I finally find you you're as drunk as a skunk and of no help to anyone. Father is about to lose the farm and you couldn't seem to care less!" She was red in the face with her anger, her eyes sparking, full of fire. Athos and Porthos were both wondering if they should run for cover or stay completely still just in case any movement would turn her anger on them, Aramis had wondered over to the body of the remaining guard behind Philippine to see if he was, in fact, dead. D'Artagnan stood there staring at his twin, her rapid words not fully sinking into his muddled head. When Poppy was only met with silence she deflated a little with disappointment.

"You know what," she said bitterly, "stay here with your friends. I'll do it myself."

Poppy turned to leave but was caught from behind in a hug from D'Artagnan.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say, "I'm so sorry."

She closed her eyes and leaned back into the hug, as fast as her anger was there it was gone.

"It's ok" she sighed, "you didn't know."

"Why didn't Father write me? He knows I would have helped." D'Artagnan said into her tangled hair at the back of her head.

"He didn't even want me to know. I had to discover it for myself when I went home." Poppy said slowly opening her eyes looking at her surroundings.

"I thought you were at the convent? Why were you…" D'Artagnan started to ask before he was cut off by a startled gasp from Poppy. She disentangled herself and pointed at Aramis kneeling by the dead guard.

"What's he doing?" Poppy asked.

"Oh, ah, he's praying for the guard." D'Artagnan tried to explain.

"Why?" she asked, truing to pry a more detailed answer out of her brother.

"Well he was a Priest you see, so he feels…"

"A Priest? He's a PRIEST!" Her anger was back in spades.

* * *

Aramis looked up after finishing his prayer for the soul of the dead guard only to find a very angry, dreadfully small Philippine standing near him pointing, eyes flashing.

_She is Beautiful_, he thought before registering why she was angry again.

"A Priest? He's a PRIEST!" she was saying pointing at him.

He frowned with confusion; "well not re…" Aramis started.

"What's wrong with that?" Athos asked, also with confusion, too curious of her answer to be apprehensive of her anger this time.

"I'm not a…" Aramis tried again.

"Just keep him away from me" Poppy stated crossing her arms and walking over to the black horse in a huff.

"Poppy" D'Artagnan said going after his sister.

Aramis rose as Porthos and Athos came over to him.

"But I'm not a Priest" Aramis said to his old friends not understanding what had just happened but strangely hurt by her rejection.

The two just shrugged looking sleepy as they followed the twins.

* * *

"Poppy what's wrong now? Why does it matter if he's a Priest?" D'Artagnan tried to work through what was happening with his sister, she had always been what people called a 'spirited' person, as well as being passionate and not afraid to stand up for herself, other people, what she believed in, and if she felt something was wrong. "You never had anything against Father Ted."

Father Ted was their local Priest at home, he was old as dust and everyone loved him, Poppy especially, she loved the stories he told, he didn't mind that she was a girl in search of knowledge, he never told her that she should be working on needle work and he never ever asked her who she was betrothed to and how many children she was going to have, she loved the old man for that.

"Don't worry 'Tagnan", she said untying Storm. The large horse eyed D'Artagnan with his ears laid back, agitated that this person was another that might hurt her; he was a mix of ChevalNavarrin and various draft breads making him a large, strong stubborn horse, and very protective of his new mistress.

"Poppy" D'Artagnan was still very drunk, so his mind was not up to the task of understanding the in's and out's of his twins mind, let alone noticing the cranky horse who was trying to crush his feet, he resolved to find out what was wrong in the morning… if he remembered.

"Just don't ok" said Poppy hitting Storm lightly on the shoulder to make him stop.

"Was just going to ask of you if you had a place to sleep," Poppy's shoulder slumped, "you don't do you."

"No" was all Poppy said.

"She can stay with us" Athos said startling D'Artagnan, he didn't hear the three walk up.

"Thank you" Poppy and D'Artagnan said simultaneously.

"Where she gonna sleep" said Porthos with a yawn.

"We can figure that out when we get back" Athos said, "but we must be gone before those guards come poking around."

The five finally walked out of the inns courtyard, Poppy leading her horse on the opposite side to every one else.

"She can take my bed" Aramis said into the silence, everyone was startled and looked at him inquisitorially, he just shrugged a shoulder, "least I can do."

D'Artagnan nodded not wanting to give up his own bed; he still maintained it was his birthday till sunrise. Poppy also nodded abet a bit more hesitantly, she didn't know what his angle was but right now she was almost too tired to care.

"Where will you sleep?" D'Artagnan asked.

"Couch" was all Aramis said.

They lapsed back into silence for a time but as they rounded the last corner D'Artagnan had to ask;

"Poppy, where did you get the horse?"

She just laughed bitterly and shook her head whilst scratching the horse in question under his chin.

"Trust me I when I say they owed me."

Everyone looked at her but nobody was either willing to ask or too afraid to.

* * *

**So the next chapter was giving me some trouble, don't know why but I couldn't scrap it since some things get explained, but I have it done now so there is just the editing and typing of it. Should be up soon though.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Again no idea why this took so long but meh its here now.**

**Keep the reviews coming people, I feed off them… not literally, I'd rather a steak, or bacon, or lollies, or pasta, or pizza, or an Iced coffee, yeah an iced coffee would be better, Farmers Union Iced Coffee is the best, everyone else doesn't know what their missing, well maybe some Australians, especially if your heaps good and come from SA, yeah then you know what I'm talking about. But I digress and am now hungry…and we have circled back to reviews, see there is some sense to the crazy. :)**

**Oh and points go to the first person to find the reference(s) and post it the comments section (what it's from and who says it will need to be there). Have fun :D**

* * *

Planchet was whistling a merry tune early that morning as he was in the kitchen just finishing up preparing breakfast, well lunch as it was already 10:30. Everything was almost ready, all he had to do was set the table in the lounge/dining room. He was having a good morning, not really worried about the racket he was making since the noise wouldn't penetrate the ceiling into the rooms upstairs. Planchet placed down knives and forks to his whistled tune of 'Drunken Sailor', sometimes broken by softly sung words. As he walked around the table checking the placement of everything he sang the chorus with gusto;

_What shall we do with the drunken sailor,_

_What shall we do with the drunken sailor,_

_What shall we do with the drunken sailor,_

_Early in the morning?_

"How about you shut up and let a man sleep! Or was your cradle rocked too close to the wall." Aramis grumbled from the couch, scaring Planchet half to death, whilst covering his head with a pillow, trying in vain to block out the light.

"Mister Aramis sir, why are you on the lounge? If you don't mind me asking sir" said Planchet inquisitorially.

Aramis sat up clutching his head winching as blood flow returned to various parts of his body from his cramped position on the couch, giving him pins and needles. He tried to think back on last nigh, the thought; _I'm never drinking again_, running more than once through his mind. Other than remembering drinking way too much, he remembered a girl with fiery green eyes, milk chocolate curly hair, and for some reason this gorgeous angel was riding a black demon from hell. Then he remembered that the angel was D'Artagnan's sister, not only that but his twin sister, and the black demon was her monster of a horse that had twice now tried to take a chunk from his person, the second time was when they had finally gotten home and their drunken minds had tried to be gentlemen for a second and had tried to stable the beast which she calls 'Storm'. His right arm would hold a nasty burse for a while courtesy of the monsters teeth, Porthos would also be limping from it stepping on his foot, and D'Artagnan would be sore from being thrown into the wall of the stall. Sadly Athos was spared any injury when Philippine decided to end their suffering and untack him herself. Bloody thing calmed down real fast after that, she was so gentle with that beast; she sung to it too, he wished she would sing for him some time.

"Occupied" he said, once more rubbing his face.

Planchet just looked at him startled for a moment before turning and walking upstairs, heading for Aramis' room, knocking on various doors on the way to wake the others up for their waiting lunch. As he reached the last door of the hall he softly knocked on it before opening and stepping into the room to gently wake the new occupant.

"Rise and shine sir" Planchet said.

Blankets covered the persons head obscuring the dweller from view. Planchet was, as always, curious as to whom this mysterious person was. He reached up and drew down the covers slowly.

Philippine grumbled in her sleep and turned her head away from the light.

"Oh my" Planchet exclaimed softly stepping back a few paces.

Finally sensing someone in the room with her, Poppy snuggled into the large comfortable bed before slowly opening her eyes, only to look up at Planchet's chubby face. She blinked for a few moments, trying to figure out if she was dreaming or not. Realising that no, it was not a dream; she breathed in deeply and let out a very loud ear piercing, glass shattering scream.

* * *

"Planchet your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries" Athos said rubbing his temples as everyone was gathered in the lounge around the table. "What possessed you to scare the poor girl like that?"

"Could hear her scream down here" Aramis mumbled, _set of lungs on her, shit bad thoughts, bad thoughts, going to the special hell, God she looks good this morning._

"I didn't mean to sirs, I just wanted to know who Mister Aramis was willing to give up his bed for is all" said Planchet rubbing his chin where Philippine had hit him.

_Would give up anything if she would just stop bloody glaring at me, what did I ever do to her, spoilt brat._

The girl in question was chewing on a sandwich and sipping some tea watching the exchange. Porthos, D'Artagnan and Aramis all sat in various chairs clutching their heads with cups of water in front of them, not even attempting to force any food into their turning stomachs.

Athos went to sit down on a chair, nibbling at a piece of bred, which only made him feel sick.

"You will fix or replace that vase as well" Athos told Planchet absent mindedly.

"The vase sir?" asked Planchet.

"The one I threw at your head" Poppy supplied. "You lot need to eat something, and D'Artagnan we need to get going."

"No food" Porthos groaned.

"Which vase?" Aramis asked.

D'Artagnan just grunted, not really listening, all he could concentrate on was keeping his stomach condense down, that and thinking; _I'm never drinking again, I'm never drinking again, Alcohol is evil, never drinking ever again_.

"Could you get them some unsalted biscuits and more tea please, black if you can, Planchet, and perhaps open some windows, it should help with their hangovers." Said Poppy smiling at Planchet, no hard feeling between them for this morning.

"Will do miss" Planchet said grinning from ear to ear. _I like her_, he thought running to the kitchen to start the tea.

* * *

Everyone sat in silence until the dry biscuits and more tea was placed in front of them.

"Why do we have to leave so soon Poppy?" D'Artagnan asked with a mouthful of his second biscuit, she was right, he did feel slightly better.

"Can we have some privacy?" Poppy said looking at the gathered house occupants, eyes mostly darting to Aramis.

Aramis and Athos saw the distrust in her eyes, both wondering why that was when they had given her no reason to distrust, and every reason for her to think otherwise.

"Philippine I'll just tell them later, so out with it." D'Artagnan said frowning at his sister, she was never this coy, always she told you what you needed to hear, whether you wanted her to or not.

"But…" D'Artagnan glared. "Fine, fine, ok." She took a deep breath. "So I was at the convent…" This raised a few eyebrows but nobody said anything, "When I received the news that our family was in trouble from one of the new girls, there was nothing in the letters from Mother and Father, so I sent my own letter asking if anything was wrong. The letter I then received a week later was so vague on the matter that I had to find out what was happening. So in the middle of the night I, umm, 'borrowed' the fastest horse and some supplies from the…"

"Wait" Aramis interrupted "you stole from a convent?"

"Listen 'Priest'" she spat the word, "I don't give a rats what you think or say, so either leave or shut the hell up and let me finish my story, plus, the horse likes me better." She said leaning back in her chair on the opposite side of the room and crossing her arms over her chest.

Aramis didn't like being talked to like that and he was fuming. _What's her problem_?

Athos watched his usually calm friend get all riled up over something which was usually just shrugged off. The girl somehow managed to push all his buttons. Aramis forced himself to calm down as he mumbled; "not a priest" to himself, and settled back, waving his hand for her to continue the story.

"Right, where was I?" Philippine asked the room.

"Bit about horses miss" Planchet supplied helpfully.

"Oh yeah, so after I borrowed the supplies I headed home. When I got there I found that the Barron was 'reclaiming' his land out from under the people and turning them out on the streets with barely the clothes on their backs. Father is only just keeping up with the payments D'Artagnan, but he's tired, he can't keep up the work load and he isn't a young man any longer."

"But there has been nothing of this in my letters either" D'Artagnan said shocked.

A tear escaped Poppy's eye; "they didn't want to worry us, they thought they could handle it. 'Tagnan, we can't just sit by and do nothing." Poppy was full on weeping now.

Everyone was shocked by the crying girl in front of them, no one more so that D'Artagnan, he hardly ever saw his sister cry, he didn't think she even had tear ducts. No one knew what to do with her, shifting uncomfortably in their chairs, waiting for her to stop, in their lines of work they weren't faced with this kind of situation very often, if ever. Aramis couldn't stand the sight any longer and moved over to her side of the room. Poppy was trying to control herself rubbing away her tears with the backs of her hands, making her face red and blotchy in the process. Aramis squatted down next to her, Poppy watched him from the corner of her eye, he saw her tense as he came closer, and he reached out his hand to put it on her shoulder hoping to give her some comfort. She kept herself completely still not looking at him. As he brushed her shoulder she flinched, he froze with his fingertips slightly resting on the edge of her shoulder.

"I don't know what you have against Priests little one," He said softly, as though not to spook her; "but even if I was one I would still never hurt you unless you attacked me first, and that would only be to restrain so neither of us would be harmed." For some reason he wanted to know what had hurt her to make her so skittish around him, but that question would be for another time.

"D'Artagnan," he continued; "you may provide the comfort she needs at the moment," turning slightly to speak over his shoulder removing his hand.

At that D'Artagnan jumped up to throw his arms around Philippine purposefully pulling her partway out of her chair so that she almost fell.

"'Tagnan!" she gasped in fear clutching at his shoulders, "the hell are you doing?"

D'Artagnan picked her up and swung her around almost hitting Aramis in the process with a foot.

"Hey, D'Artagnan, put me down you loon. I said put me down!" Even as her words were meant to be angry, she couldn't help but smile.

D'Artagnan smiled back happy she was no longer crying.

"Idiot" she mumbled as he put her back on her feet.

She looked around seeing that everyone else was either openly grinning (Planchet and D'Artagnan), slightly smiling (Athos and Porthos) or smirking (Aramis), she blushed a bright shade of red and looked at her feet.

"Well then, planning must be commenced I should think" Athos said, trying to compose himself but his eyes still shone with mirth.

Poppy's head shot up; "huh?" she said most eloquently.

"You didn't think we were not going to help now, do you?" Porthos said smiling as her jaw dropped.

"But-but…"

"You are our friend and you need help, there will be no questing it. Tomorrow we will leave at first light. D'Artagnan and I will go beg the King's pardon, telling him that a family matter has come up, and D'Artagnan here will also be able to have an excuse to see Constance again." Athos began to plan as Poppy raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"Later" he muttered as explanation.

Athos continued; "Porthos, we need clothes that will help us to blend in; we don't want this Barron recognising us before we have a plan of attack. Aramis check weapons and restock the gunpowder, we don't know if we will need it but knowing us and our luck, we most probably will. And Philippine needs a decent blade; can you use knives, bows, guns, girl?" Poppy and D'Artagnan nodded their heads each time Athos named a new weapon. "Aramis get her some hidden blades and some throwing knives, you can outfit her later. Planchet can pack supplies, anything you think we may need and check the horses too, we can't afford them getting lame, and no wagon, it would be too slow."

With that everyone got up to leave but Poppy.

"What about me?" she asked confused.

"Philippine you need to stay here, the guards will be looking for you and we can't afford to waist time, it's already midday and we must move quickly now."

"But…"

"Help Planchet and have a bath, we don't want your parents to think we haven't been taking care of you."

"Plus you smell" D'Artagnan put in.

Philippine glared at her brother before saying; "I can help" to Athos dejected, she was already beginning to look up to him.

"I know you can, but it is safer if you stay here just this once, you can't help anyone if you're arrested." Athos told her gently.

"Fine" she huffed.

They all turned to leave once again, except Porthos, he walked up to Poppy and held out his hand, palm turned upwards, not saying anything, just looking at her.

"What?" she asked crossing her arms and looking him over.

He just stood there, waiting.

"Poppy we don't have time for this, just give it to him," D'Artagnan said from the doorway.

Poppy huffed again and reached behind her, pulling a small bag from the waistband of her pants at the small of her back, and placing it in his palm.

Porthos opened it and counted the coins; "where's the rest?" her said looking back at her.

She shrugged, "had to eat" Poppy said in way of explanation.

Porthos grunted and left.

Alone Philippine sighed, placing her hands on her head and looking at the ceiling, wondering what it was she could do. Planchet stuck his chubby smiling face back into the room.

"How are you with horses?" he asked her.

She smiled back, inwardly thanking him as she lowered her arms and walked up to him on the way to the stables.

"Better than I am with people."

* * *

**Again no idea why this took so long but hey that's how it goes, guess I wasn't happy with it to start off with but although editing is annoying it, does help with the process.**

**Oh yeah I'll put up chapters at least once a week, so quit hassling me, I might become slower just too annoy you…. Probably wont, but I could :) and as always please review, it gives me motivation for said stupid editing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok only a short note this time, Mikhail, my muse (don't ask me why he's Russian, I have no idea myself, the name just feels right somehow), has decided he won't help me write more chapters until this one has been tipped up. **

**Also watched the Victoria Secret Christmas show today…. All I can say is that I want to be taller right now, wish I was one of them but oh well, guess I'm just stuck as a cute ass shorty : )**

**Anyways on with the story…. Just a warning the next few chapters may get a little heavy and not in the good way.**

* * *

Aramis was the first one back from his set tasks, he came in through the stable with his horse carrying all their newly sharpened swords and knives, extra gunpowder and some other explosive devices as well, he had had a very productive day. Aramis had even remembered to buy decent weapons for the vixen who popped into his head anytime he stopped thinking on weapons. he had brought her a new lightweight, thin, very strong, Sabre with intricate detailing on the unique hilt of leaves, vines and branches which curved up and around where the back of her hand would rest, covering and protecting it while sill giving her wrist manoeuvrability. This sword was the most expensive item he had purchased that day, Aramis realised she did not need such an astounding sword, but for some reason he wanted her to have it, he paid for that one sword with his own money, he didn't put it on the Musketeers account with the metalworker, he wanted it to be a gift from him, but he didn't want her to know that.

_Stupid, _he thought, _Stupid man, stupid move, be thrown back in your face…just hope she has it sheathed when she throws it_.

Aramis had also brought an assortment of other weapons that Athos wanted for her. There were throwing knives, knives that slid into her boots, ones that attached to her thighs, knives that slid into wrist guards, and he had even bought her a hair clip with a hidden blade. Aramis almost felt sorry for the horse having to lug the combined weight of everything he had bought that day.

"Got quite a bit there have we Mister Aramis." Planchet said happily form Storm's stall.

Aramis was quite startled;

"How are you not dead?" he asked with wide eyes looking from Planchet to the beast.

"Oh this one" Planchet said patting the monster on his thick muscled neck with another smile, "had a go at me to begin with but sugar cubes work wonders with even the most bad tempered of horses."

"Sugar cubes?" Aramis asked as if Planchet were speaking English.

"Yes sir, even the most wild of animals like having someone be nice to them, even if they don't act like it sometimes" said Planchet knowingly, leaving the stall to get some straw for bedding.

"And what, pray tell, does that mean?" Aramis said narrowing his eyes at Planchet.

"Just means that most things have a reason for acting as they do, see Storm here has marks on him, could be he got caught in a fence, could be someone's hit him too hard in the past, may explain why he's so distrustful, twitchy in some people's company even." Planchet said as he put the straw around Storms stall. He moved slowly so as not to spook the watching stallion.

"So because we don't know the story, we don't know the reasons behind the behaviour" Aramis said almost to himself, beginning to think it through. "But we can conclude the story involves mistreatment in some form."

"Sounds about right" Planchet said moving towards Aramis' horse to put away the new packages, Aramis lost in his own thoughts.

When Planchet removed the packages containing Poppy's new equipment Aramis came back to the present;

"I'll take those" he said reaching for the weapons, he wanted to put them in her room, his room, for her to find later "Where is she now?" he asked.

"In Mister D'Artagnan's room, cleaning up I think" Planchet replied.

The image of her in a hot, steamy bath quickly came to the forefront of his mind and consumed his thought processes, he inwardly groaned.

_Special Hell for you old man, she's only 19, too young for you; at least I'll be warm in hell._

He almost ran from the stable.

Planchet smiled to himself and spoke quietly to Nickel, Aramis' horse;

"There might be a chance for them yet, don't you think girl. Ha, at least he's finally trying to figure her out." Chuckling he finished with his tasks then went to go and check on the medical supplies, they would probably need them.

* * *

Poppy had been fighting inwardly with herself all day, mostly because she was angry. Angry for crying, angry at flinching away from the Priest, and mostly, she was angry at the fact that when she saw the hurt look in his eye as she flinched away earlier, she was actually sorry that she had hurt him, she wanted to apologise to him, that her gut twisted and her heart broke just a little at the expression. It pissed her off that she cared. She sighed and started to clean the room that she had been bathing in.

_Need to stop thinking about it, need to get out of my own head, need to stop worrying if the bloody priest is okay,_ she thought bitterly. When she was having her bath she was relaxed, she hadn't had time to wash properly in some time and it felt good to be clean again, but as soon as she was dressed the tension came back to her body. _Why do I care what he thinks? Why do I care if he feels hurt? He wouldn't care about me. Hasn't done anything yet but he's always looking at me, especially last night. Should've called him on it, knocked him on his arse, make him think twice. That look he gave me this morning, damn he's cute though. I didn't just think that. I cannot think he is good looking, it's just wrong. He is but that's against the point, gah I'm so screwed._ Her stomach growled starting her. _Think I may need a sandwich_.

Philippine left the room putting on her jacket and heading to the kitchen.

* * *

Aramis was sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire when Philippine walked in taking a large bite out of her very large sandwich. He raised his eyebrow at both the size of the sandwich and the size of her bite.

_Bloody girl eats as much as her brother, how the hell is she that thin? Girl can fit a lot in her mouth, shit, face is stone, don't let her know what you're thinking, and for fucks sake don't blush whatever you do._

Philippine choked a little at seeing him there, her stomach flipped an hit the floor. She spluttered a little and tried to say: 'what, never seen a girl eat before?' but it ended up as more of a garbled half choke sounding more like;

"Wa, neber een a earl eap afore?"

He just rolled his eyes and went back to his book. She glared with annoyance before sitting down at the table to finish her meal.

They sat in silence both trying to ignore the other. Poppy finished her sandwich and brushed the crumbs from the table onto her hand, trying to keep them occupied. She forgot that she didn't bring a plate, Poppy tried to subtly wipe her hands off under the table. She heard a snort from the direction of Aramis' chair and became annoyed, she had almost forgotten he was there…almost. Just as she was about to say something Planchet walked in looking perplexed.

"Does anyone know where the linen bandages are? They're not in the cupboard." Said Planchet looking at both of them.

"I am sure you will discover their location." Aramis told him not looking up from his book.

Poppy stood up but stayed leaning against the table, looking at her feet.

"Actually, that was me, I needed them, I'll repay you for them, umm, when I have some money that is."

Planchet seemed more confused than ever; "That was a lot of cloth miss, are you hurt?"

Aramis' head snapped up at this, frowning at her, his attention made her even more uncomfortable, her face, hidden by her hair as she looked at her bare feet, was burning as she mumbled:

"No, just the one's I was using were dirty."

Aramis got up and moved slightly closer, more than a little bit concerned now, he became worried that she may have suffered injuries last night that everyone was too drunk to notice.

"If you are hurt we need to treat it, we cannot afford for any injuries to become infected on the way."

"Look I'm fine" Poppy bit out looking up, she was getting a little bit peeved that he thought he knew what was best for her and her body.

"Obviously not. Planchet" he said turning towards the man in question, "get some fresh hot water and clean cloths, tear up some bedding if you have to."

"But sir-" Planchet said.

"Now!" Aramis commanded, Philippine narrowed her eyes at his heavy handed tone.

"Yes sir." Planchet said leaving the room to do as he was bid, he hoped Aramis didn't hurt her, or she him.

Philippine didn't like the feel of this, emotions she was trying to ignore were coming back with a vengeance now that he was so close and looking at her so intently, that and there was now no one to save her from her own thoughts.

"Look this isn't ness-" she began to say but was cut off.

"Take off your shirt." Aramis commanded.

"Excuse me?" She was completely shocked, didn't he know her brother would be back soon, and the protective git would kill him for so much as looking at her.

"Take off your shirt." He said again, "I tend to the others wounds so I shall also see yours. Now take off your shirt."

Seeing that she didn't move he remembered his earlier conversation with Planchet and reluctantly added with a sigh, "Please."

Poppy was slightly scared now and she began backing away, trying to reach a door.

"No" she said shaking her head and motioning with her arms, "not a chance, never going to happen Priest."

He saw the fear and stayed motionless. Aramis decided that he would try logic on her, it could work, if not he could just threaten to tell her brother, perhaps he could use both. He sighed again and spoke slowly.

"I am not a Priest, and it is not like I have never seen a woman before. So unless you want to do this when Planchet gets back, or that I tell your brother that you may be hurt, which would worry him, and possibly even make him leave you here, then I suggest that you hurry and disrobe. I will even turn my back while you change."

Philippine considered his words, she knew he would tell her brother; _I'll be wrapped in cotton for the rest of my life if he finds out_. She had no other option but she didn't have to be happy about it.

She huffed as she went back to her chair and took off her jacket. She actually secretly liked him ordering her around, not all the time, but since he was ordering her to take off her clothes…_We are so not going there, what the hell has gotten into me lately, I never think like this, about anyone, ever, what the hell?_

She decided to just get this over with.

"Just-" she coughed "just don't tell anyone okay."

He raised an eyebrow at this and was tempted to ask what she meant but was cut off with the one word he never thought she would direct at him.

"Please?"

Her face held a blush and her eyes shone with unshed tears of embarrassment, all he could do was nod.

_I shouldn't be doing this,_ he thought.

"Umm…" she said awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, "could you turn around s'il vous plait?"

_Why am I being civil to him, God this is so embarrassing, dear lord create a hole to swallow me up now._

_Breath you fool, what are you, 15? You're just going to check her for injuries then send her on her way. No unnecessary touching or leering. _

Aramis nodded again and turned his back, as did she.

_Oh God I can hear her clothes coming off. This is too much even for me, l have to be professional here, this will be in my dreams I just know it. Ok I need to be quick about this, check her over, then get to your room, no wait, her stuffs in there, shit, latrine would work. I really do hope she doesn't notice, probably cut it off is she did, wonder if she's a virgin._

Philippine, with her back to him, didn't know of his inner turmoil as she released the last buttons of her shirt and placed it over the chair with her jacket and vest, besides, she had her own thoughts to deal with.

_Let's just get this over with, keep your back to him and the bindings on, maybe when he sees them he'll turn and run or just leave you alone. Here's to hoping. Please don't leave. Crap I'm pathetic._

And with a sniff she finally said;

"You can turn back now."

* * *

**So what happened to her? Will he understand? Stay tuned people….. please don't kill me for the cliff hanger. Oh and please review Mikhail like reviews.**


	5. Chapter 5

**And another chapter for the crazy masses. So I left this one an extra day of suspense, that or I just felt lazy and wanted to annoy you guys, but I would rather go with the suspense one :) either way, on to it I suppose.**

* * *

**_Previously:_**

"Umm…" she said awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, "could you turn around s'il vous plait?"

Aramis nodded again and turned his back, as did she.

Philippine, with her back to him, didn't know of his inner turmoil as she released the last buttons of her shirt and placed it over the chair with her jacket and vest, besides, she had her own thoughts to deal with.

And with a sniff she finally said;

"You can turn back now."

* * *

Philippine didn't see his shocked expression but the sharp intake of breath was enough indication for her to guess. The muscles in her back tensed as she waited for what he would do, she didn't like being this vulnerable. Aramis was at a loss for words, for thoughts even, as he looked at the small woman's back. The linen bandages wrapped around her ribcage, but that was not what he was looking at. Her creamy pale skin encased delicate tensed muscles, but it was not her skin that held his gaze. What he couldn't tear his eyes away from where the five scars that intersected and marred that perfect, beautiful back, one of which went from the middle of her right shoulder blade, underneath the bindings and ended somewhere on her left hip below the waistline of her pants. One word managed to escape his frozen lips.

"Who...?"

Her voice was soft, she knew the question was coming when he didn't run, but she never really had to explain it to anyone before. Her arms were crossed over her chest, hands grasping at opposite shoulders as if to protect her aching heart as she took a deep breath and began.

"Before I learnt to pick my battles, I was apparently very insolent and a bit of a smart arse to some of the visiting Priests at the convent. One didn't like the fact that I questioned things and wanted to learn more than he deemed necessary. I was stubborn and didn't realise I was pushing him too far, disobeying him, going out of my way to try and prove him wrong. One day he just kind of snapped, decided that I needed to be taken down a peg. Five lashes from the old sailor Priest, luckily that was all it took to smarten me up. I was much more careful after that."

Aramis had unconsciously inched closer to Philippine as she told her story and now stood only a foot from her slightly shaking figure. He heard a small hiccup and realised that she was shaking not because she was cold, but because her was silently crying. He didn't know what to say so he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the gentle warmth and pressure of his hand sinking into her skin.

Aramis, moving slowly, turned her around so she was looking at his chest, not really seeing what her eyes landed on. As he closed the gap between them, one arm went across her shoulders whilst the other tangled in her curly chestnut hair and pulled her more firmly against his chest. She fought his hold for a moment not knowing what he was doing but he held firm and she eventually just sunk into him, her whole body shaking with her sobs.

* * *

Planchet took his time getting the water and tearing up some more linen, giving the two some time to sort their issues out. As he headed back in he heard sobbing. Planchet poked his head around the corner he saw Philippine looking very small being held by Aramis in a tight, comforting grip as her body shook.

_Think I'll give them some more time._ He thought before he turned around to go triple check their supplies for the journey.

* * *

Aramis felt Philippine slowly stop crying and loosened his hold a little so she could breathe easier. He says the first thing that pops into his head.

"He can't hurt you anymore."

This was not the correct thing to say, it was a borderline stupid statement.

Philippine pushed him away, so shocked is Aramis at her sudden change in attitude that the push takes him by surprise and he stumbles a short distance, only managing to stay upright by bumping into the lounge.

"I know that" Poppy says through gritted teeth, wiping away her tears and advancing on him, "but others can, and will given half the chance. It's the fact that he believed he was justified, calling it an 'Act of God', that it was 'Gods Will' that I should be punished because Lord knows that a bloody Priest couldn't be hate filled and spiteful enough to hurt a poor defenceless girl of 15, who just wanted to know how things really worked."

She was now standing half a foot from him glairing up at his face, her anger evident. As she finished the last sentence his hands shot out to grab her shoulders in a grip that would be bruising.

"Why do you think I left?" He was almost yelling into her face, staring directly into her eyes. "They didn't practice what they preached; they used and abused their power to justify what they wanted. Now there are some decent Priests out there, who are right, and just, and good, but the bad ones outshine the good and that is all people seem to focus on. I am not him, understand. You are my friend's sister and an innocent. I would never hurt you. Are we clear?"

Poppy didn't know what to say after this outburst, she was completely shocked at his protectiveness and his anger at the thought that Poppy could think he was anything like that Priest. She tried to stammer out some form of answer, ending up looking like some sort of bizarre fish with her mouth opening and closing.

"Well?" he shook her a little, breathing hard, everything seemed to hinge on her answer.

"Yes" was all Poppy could say.

"Will you trust me now?" Aramis said standing up a little straighter.

Philippine's vocal cords finally managed to work properly, she too stood up straighter, squaring her shoulders.

"Trust must be earned." Aramis went to say something, his brow furrowing, but she continued. "But 'Tagnan seems to trust you and that's enough for me right now."

He sighted, releasing the grip of his hands slightly and asked; "So that's settled then?" raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." _God he looks hot when he does that_.

Aramis leaned back and looked at the linen wrapping her chest.

"Then let's see these wounds then."

* * *

She turned a bright red and tried to cover her barely covered chest, attempting to turn away but was being held firm by his hands.

"L-look, the-there's nothing wrong. I – I just…" She stammered, he barely heard her.

"Why is the wrapping so tight?" He leaned closer to her chest, oblivious to her discomfort. "It can't be easy to breath."

"I – I need – needed to umm…" She struggled to think up a plausible reason.

"Take off the wrapping" he stated, not fully realising what he asked.

"What? No!"

His right hand reached for the top corner of her wrappings on her left side, moving her stunned arms out of the way before she could understand what was happening and stop him.

"I need to see if you're hurt" Aramis said completely serious and utterly clueless.

"I'm not…Just…What are you…?" Poppy tried in vain to form a coherent protest and to stop his hands, but it was too little too late.

His mouth dropped open as the bindings unwrapped themselves, the linen wrappings stopped falling when they fell past her tiny waist and clung to her flared hips, one end of the linen trailing to and brushing the floor. Philippine's hands flew to her uncovered breasts but her hands were too small to hold all of them from sight. Her whole upper torso and her face went red with embarrassment; her head fell forward so her hair could cover her face and parts of her body from his gaze. She couldn't move.

_Oh God, oh God, please, kill me now._ She thought.

Aramis' hand that had pulled at the wrappings now rested on the exposed skinned of her waist, his fingers absent mindedly stroking at the silky expanse of flesh. The only thing that did register in his mind was that her breasts would probably fit into his long fingered hands almost perfectly.

Realising he was staring, he tried twice to swallow the lump in his throat before he managed to get out a very gravely and eloquent;

"Wha…?"

Philippine spoke very quickly to try and get this over and done with.

"I usually ware a lose corset just to stop them from, you know, moving, but it was simpler to travel as a boy, so I had to blind them down more than usual and wrapping them was all I could think of."

She still wouldn't look him in the eye as he still stared at her, trying to process her rapid words. After a few tense seconds he finally managed to say a single word.

"Right."

* * *

At this point in time Planchet had decided that they had had enough time to sort out whatever was happening between them. Deciding that the best option was to, very loudly, reheat the water he was sent for. So Planchet began banging around quite loudly before collecting his things and stomping his way into the dinning/lounge room.

Philippine and Aramis were broken out of their thoughts by the sudden noise. Aramis quickly grabbed Poppy's shirt from the floor where it had slipped. She thrust her right arm through the right sleeve as he brought it up turning so her back was to him. Her left arm went to the remaining sleeve as he pulled the shirt to her shoulders, Poppy managed to grab the labels and pull them to cover herself as Planchet entered the room loudly at their backs.

"Well I brought the water you wanted sir" he said noting that Aramis was shielding her from view, "sorry it took so long I got distracted with…"

"Shut up Planchet." Aramis said with a little less venom at the man then he felt at the moment.

"Right sir" He said wondering what exactly happened.

Philippine reached over to where she had left her jacket and vest, quickly shrugging on and doing up the vest before putting on her jacket as well, hoping that Planchet wouldn't notice that they were tighter than before. As Philippine righted herself, Aramis reached down to pick up the fallen wrappings and discreetly handed them to her, becoming confused as to why he was upset with Planchet walking in on them.

"Miss Philippine does not seem to require any medical attention at the present time." He informed Planchet over his shoulder still shielding Poppy from view.

"Yes sir, but can I ask-"

"No" He seethed at Planchet, Aramis had no idea why he was so angry again.

"Right sir, I'll just clean this up then" Planchet said backing out of the room quite quickly.

Poppy want to step around Aramis to follow Planchet out, but his hand shot out to tightly grasp her upper arm, his eyes searching her face.

"Are you alright?" He had to ask, she was being far too quiet and it was making him nervous.

Philippine still couldn't look at him, choosing to look down at her hands instead.

"Just promise me-" She said almost too quite for him to hear; "Just promise you won't tell D'Artagnan."

About what, Aramis didn't need to ask.

"You have my word" He said, "just as long as you remember that I am not like them."

She nodded once as she said: "I know" and he released her.

As she reached the door and turned the corner he thought he heard her say;

"They would have tried to take me."

The anger he felt in that moment would have shocked him if he could have felt any other emotion. As it was, he grabbed the closest object, which happened to be an earthen ware cup on the table, and threw it at the wall, smashing right next to the door and Planchet's head.

"I'll come back then" Planchet muttered with a shocked expression and turned on his heal quickly to retreat.

Aramis collapsed into the chair Philippine had sat on to eat her sandwich what seemed like hours ago and placed his head in his hands, he had a lot to think on.

* * *

**I realise that the characters thoughts and emotions can seem all over the place and can go off into many tangents, but thoughts are not linier things, they jump around and one phrase can set a thought off into many different directions and, well, with these two emotions kinda run high and hormones are well hormones, they fuck with everything. Yeah I just wanted to explain (although I realise not very well) why these two seem all over the place.**

**Remember REVIEW people…..please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, another chapter you ask…. Don't mind if I do : )**

**Now I know the last few chapters were a bit on the darker side, but what is light without dark? You cannot know happiness without sadness, no bravery without fear, love without hate, a life without death. One without the other holds no meaning, if there is one without the other than everything would be bland and there would be no change or chance in anything that we do, everything would be neutral and, well, boring as fuck really.**

**And reading back over that I now realise why people think I have an old soul : )**

**And thank you to everyone who has left reviews, favourited and followed this story, you have no idea how much they make me smile, and I'm not scared of a little constructive criticism, I'm a big girl, I can take it. And I can't believe no one has found the ****_Holy Grail_**** references or the ****_Firefly_**** ones.**

**And one more thing….. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Cheerful Kwanza, Smiling Saturnalia and just an overall have a Happy Mother Fucking Holiday, I mean for Gods sake your given an excuse to be happy, freaking take it : )**

* * *

Everyone was once again gathered around the table with maps and various weapons spread out before them. Two knives had been imbedded into the largest map of France (and subsequently the table) at two major points; one at Paris where they currently resided, and one at the twins home town, it was a large gap to work with.

Athos sighed, "We'll be travelling fast, pushing the horses as hard as we can without exhausting them overmuch, may even have to camp outside some nights."

Athos looked at Philippine waiting for her to protest. She realised the he was looking at her when he didn't continue, she had been intently focusing on the table, following and absorbing his every word but looked up when no one resumed speaking, only to find everyone watching her, waiting for a response. Poppy smiled at Athos.

"I know you would rather a nice soft bed to rest your bones old man" she said "but as long as there isn't a rock digging into my back I think I'll survive sleeping on the ground."

The side of Athos' mouth twitched as D'Artagnan let out a bark of laughter. "You won't have to worry about her Athos" D'Artagnan said. "Once Mother threatened not to let her come in the house if she didn't get rid of the mud she was covered in. Poppy decided she'd rather sleep in a tree then wash."

"A tree?" Porthos asked impressed.

"You didn't fall out?" Aramis wondered.

"Why were you covered in mud?" Athos pinched the bridge of his nose as he said it, closing his eyes trying not to groan, part of him really didn't want to know the answer.

"Couldn't you have just washed?" Planchet also put in his two centimes.

D'Artagnan just continued to laugh as Poppy frowned at all of them. "Does it really matter?" They all nodded their heads and she could see they would get nowhere if she didn't explain herself, at least a little, once more; she did a lot of explaining to these imbeciles. Poppy rolled her eyes. "Mother wouldn't let me inside and I didn't want to wash in freezing water, the ground was wet and the barn had been flooded, so I thought 'why not sleep in a tree?'" Every one was quiet as she continued, "I grabbed a rope and tied myself to a branch so I wouldn't fall and that was the end of that argument when Father found me in the morning."

"How old were you?" Planchet asked quite innocently.

Poppy thought for a moment, "Nine or ten I think" was her reply.

D'Artagnan began laughing again having stopped while she spoke, he's sides were beginning to hurt from all this laughter. "You were fourteen and two months later you were sent to the convent." He said wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

* * *

Poppy glanced at Aramis from the corner of her eye, wondering if he would tell them there and then, but all that happened was that he had tensed a little and his eyes had gone hard as his jaw clenched. She almost breathed a sigh of relief.

Aramis on the other hand was struggling not to throw something again, he stared at one point on the wall in front of him and concentrated on his breathing as he clenched and unclenched his hands, wishing there was a neck held between them. So focused was he on keeping his anger in check, that he didn't see her worried glance or everyone else's flabbergasted faces at discovering how old she had been when climbing the tree and being covered in mud when most girls were already betrothed. The anger left him when the image of her in that state entered his mind, he couldn't stay angry around her for long, especially now that he looked at her and saw her pouting like a small child while Planchet chuckled.

"She's something else" Porthos muttered scratching his chin.

_You have no idea_, Aramis thought rubbing a hand over his face, ending with that hand resting over his mouth, hiding his smile. _She never does what you expect her to_.

"Can we just get back to the planning?"

Her voice cut into his thoughts and Aramis realised he had had his eyes closed briefly. Opening them he saw that she had moved around the table to a spot next to him where she could more easily see parts of the map.

Philippine reached over the table and pointed to a place on said map that was not too far from Paris but still a few days ride. "This village had a festival for something, a harvest or a saint, I wasn't really listening but we can merge with the crowds there. It's about two days ride from here, we should camp for those days, everyone else will be as they head there for the celebrations so we'll fit in easy enough."

She reached further forward pointing to another road leading to the knife signifying her home. As she leaned over, she had to stretch over the table, her stomach resting on the wood and her feet barely touching the ground. Aramis couldn't help but look.

* * *

He groaned inwardly at the sight of her bottom in the air.

_Fuck she has a nice arse, those pants look like she's wearing a second skin, nothing to the imagination, why didn't I notice these muscles before? Where the hell is her jacket? At least that covers her to mid-thigh, no wonder I never noticed how tight her muscles are._

Philippine reached further forward, talking about what route they should take but Aramis wasn't listening. As she reached she stretched even further, one hip sliding further forward on the table than the other as her arm extended, her body now almost fully resting on the table. One of her bare feet was raised in the air while the other had just the tips of her toes brushing the stone floor.

_Dear Lord she looks flexible, my hands could probably fit around her waist, and her hips…could get a perfect grip on those. God, would like to take a bite out of that –_

"Aramis, do you have any comments?" Athos broke into his reprieve.

Aramis realised he was very stiff, in more ways than one, and leaned forward, looking at the map with a frown. To everyone he looked like he was considering something, when in actual fact he was praying that as he bent at the hips no one would notice that his pants had become considerably tighter.

"Little under two weeks" he muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear him, it was one of the last things he heard.

"Told you so" Poppy said triumphantly at Porthos and D'Artagnan, they seemed to have had an argument on how long the journey would take. It seemed to be a bizarre concept to Aramis that a person could look triumphantly smug while mostly lying on a table being towered over by men morn than twice your size, but somehow Philippine managed to pull it off.

"But we could be there sooner" D'Artagnan complained.

"Would look too suspicious, all of us riding that fast, your sisters right on that front" Athos said beginning to roll up the various maps while Poppy slid off the table, light as a fox.

"He has guards, lots of guards. The Barron has hired every sell-sword and Mercenary this side of Spain. He's outfitted them with the best equipment and the best horses, they have a free reign to terrorise the town and everything in it… to a degree" Poppy explained.

"Where's all this gold coming from? That's a lot of men to pay."

_Trust Porthos to think about money_, Athos thought but he agreed with him none the less.

"I don't know" Philippine and D'Artagnan said at the same time.

"That's just weird when you do that" Planchet said.

They both rolled their eyes, "No it's not" they said in unison again.

"See, creepy."

"The village is just that, a village, "D'Artagnan said "It's all farm land and pastures, there're no mines and only a small quarry, nothing that would generate this kind of income."

"This Barron must, indeed, have a benefactor or financer. From the economic standing of this land and surrounding areas, which can be assumed to be of the same repute, then the gold must be coming from an unknown source." Aramis said.

_Did he just reiterate what D'Artagnan just said in more complicated terms, bloody jackass_. Poppy thought rolling her eyes again.

"Jackass" she muttered under her breath, it made her feel better saying it.

Even though it was under her breath Aramis still heard her and snorted. He found he liked pissing her off, her eyes flashed, her skin glowed with colour, reddening her pale cheeks, and her jaw tightened, clenching her teeth together. He almost smiled before he quickly caught himself, his face resuming its stony expression, he hope no one noticed the quick changes in his appearance, and nobody did, no one but Athos that is.

_Interesting_, Athos thought. "Alright, so we have a plan of attack, we leave at first light so I suggest we all get some much-needed rest." He said clearing the last remains from the table.

"But…. What do we do when we get there?" Planchet was troubled.

D'Artagnan answered; "What we always do."

Planchet sighed, "Make it up as we go along."

"The best kind of plan," Philippine said smiling.

Everyone chuckled and were about to follow Athos' orders, stretching and popping joints as they left, when Poppy spoke up again.

"'Tagnan I'm in your room" she stated.

* * *

"No." he said it without any hesitation or thought, Athos, Aramis, Porthos and Planchet were shocked at the quick response.

"'Tagnan-" she said with a yawn.

"No."

"D'Artagnan it's a reasonable decision, Aramis can't sleep on the couch again, it's too small for him, and she is your sister, you must have shared a bed before" Athos was the voice of reason with dancing mirth filled eyes that D'Artagnan did not want to hear.

"Yes but-" D'Artagnan desperatly tried to think up a rebuttal.

"You can always give up your own bed and sleep on the couch" Porthos put in with a smirk.

"Why don't you give up your bed?" D'Artagnan bit back.

"She isn't my sister now is she" he was full on grinning now.

"Just give it up." Athos said.

"But-but… she kicks, and hits, and bloody talks in her sleep." No one was buying it.

"You do that too, I seem to remember you kicking me out of a bed once." Philippine's eyes danced with humour at his losing battle. Secretly she wanted him to take the couch; she didn't want to share a bed with his snoring hide anyway.

"You stole my covers!" D'Artagnan was grasping at straws.

"Ah no, that was you. I was just trying to get some back when you knocked me to the floor."

D'Artagnan looked around, trying to find an ally in the room, but all he found were his friends holding back fits of laughter. "But it's my room." He said in a whine.

"And tonight you have to share" Athos said, patting his shoulder on the way out. D'Artagnan just stood there, shoulders slumped in defeat. "Philippine grab your equip-"

"Already done" Philippine said resting her weight on one foot and crossing her arms smiling at another victory.

Athos nodded and reached back to grab D'Artagnan's shoulder to pull him from the room before they could begin the next coming argument.

_They bicker like children over a toy neither really cares about but they fight anyway_, Athos could see that there was at least no malice to the fighting.

Planchet and Porthos followed out Athos and D'Artagnan and as Aramis began to move Philippine reached out her hand to stop him, grabbing his elbow. Aramis was so shocked by this gesture that he froze, it was the first time she had willingly touched him without a primal need for comfort.

"Wait." She didn't look at him while she waited for the others to be out of earshot. When she felt it was safe and that he wouldn't leave she dropped her hand, they both instantly missed the contact but were too stubborn to acknowledge the feeling. "Thank you" she said not looking at him.

"For what?" he was even more confused now.

"For not telling 'Tagnan, for not telling anyone, just thanks." She blushed and walked quickly to the door, he stood rooted to the spot. Philippine left the room but stuck her head back in to shock him once more before she scurried upstairs to make sure D'Artagnan didn't lock her out of his room. "Oh and by the way," she grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks for the sabre, I like the vines."

And with that she disappeared up the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, hope you're having an awesome new year! I realise i haven't updated when I was supposed to but i have been super busy with work and everything, plus i went down to the beach (New years in Australia is in summer, and in Adelaide everyone either goes to music festivals, the beach or the river) and sand is not friends with laptops so I decided not to bring my baby along. Plus its freaking hot, 37 degrees just now (99 at the moment), meant to get up to, and past, 44 degrees (past 111 for you Fahrenheit people) in the next few days, so I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time in a pool.**

**I promise to have the next one up on time though :)**  
**any way, you guys have an awesome start to the new year**

**oh and btw, reviews are awesome and I absolutely love everyone that does them :D**

**especially when I'm late on an update, they help me to get off my butt.**

* * *

Philippine had been ignoring him for the past two days. Three days ago they were in Paris, in a nice sheltered, heated room and she was adorably embarrassed when thanking him for her presents. They had left Paris early the next morning before even the markets had opened. The last words that Aramis said to Philippine were definitely not what he would have wanted to say had he known that she would soon be ignoring him, yet still manage to annoy the hell out of him. These simple words were spoken while helping her to place and hide her new weapons, they were instructions in a whispered dawn, and even though the words were not ideal, the reaction could not have been better. His actual last words to her had been for her to 'not cut herself', which she promptly snorted at in a way of a laugh and looked into his eyes while smiling, her white teeth flashing in the early morning light. His breath caught in his chest and he realised that in his bent position their faces were level. They stood there staring at each other, his hands on her hips from when he had buckled the sheath of her blade. A blush had risen in her cheeks as they became caught in the moment, this was promptly broken by D'Artagnan calling for her to collect her horse so that they could saddle up and get moving. Aramis found that he was beginning to dislike his friends and their constant interruptions.

* * *

Since that morning, they had not had a single conversation about anything, they weren't even arguing. Aramis did try engage her in a conversation on several occasions, but Poppy would only answer in short monosyllable statements and never more than what was required of her. No one had realised that the two weren't talking until Planchet pointed out that they were 'getting along quite nicely', but not enjoying their normal banter, everyone but D'Artagnan had soon come to the realisation that they were not speaking.

The first day of riding had been as expected, it had been chilly and overcast but the dark clouds looked as if they were to move on, they didn't. By mid afternoon it had begun to rain, not a sprinkle and not a torrential down poor, but a good soaking rain which can last for days. The roads had begun to turn to mud and their pace was forced to a walk, luckily they had made good time the first morning, they had not even stopped for lunch but continued on, and they could still reach the first town when planned.

"I can't feel my toes" D'Artagnan complained from atop Buttercup. It seemed to Aramis the D'Artagnan had never acted this childish until his sister showen up.

"Oh shut it 'Tagnan" Poppy grumbled, a droplet of water hanging on the tip of her button nose before she brushed it away with the back of her gloved hand.

"We can't be that far." Porthos said.

In truth Aramis thought that they were only a mile of two from the closest township, he said as much which earned him groans from D'Artagnan, Poppy and Porthos.

"Thought it would have been closer by now" Poppy complained in the same tone as her brother.  
"Almost there" Athos reassured them, speaking as if to small children. Aramis was soaked through and shivering even though he could no longer feel the cold, he also hadn't been dry since the day before and thoughts had occupied his mind all night resulting in a lack of sleep. Aramis struggled not to sneeze violently.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_"Cripes it's cold" Porthos said stomping his feet to increase the circulation, "where's the wood for the fire?"_

_Planchet came up to the camp with an armful of soggy sticks, "I'm sorry, this is all i could find."_

_There were groans all round as they accepted defeat and the inevitability of a cold sodden night._ _After a meal of dried meat and cheese was consumed, and the horses had been seen to, the bed rolls were laid out. Aramis placed his roll down next to Philippine's so that she would be wedged between himself and D'Artagnan (for protection he told himself). When Poppy came back from seeing to Storm she saw the positions of the bed rolls and made a show of checking hers over before picking it up and shaking it out, laying it down on the other side of D'artagnan, away from Aramis. This raised a few eyebrows but her response of; 'it's dryer over here' was begrudgingly accepted by everyone but Aramis, he racked his brain all night for why she may have been avoiding him, by morning he still had no answer._

* * *

Aramis' lack of sleep combined with his worsening fever, and that he was being ignored by Philippine was making him uncomfortable, wearing on his last nerves and all over restraint, it also didn't help that Philippine's clothes were plastered to her skin and his mind kept recalling what her chest looked like without the bindings. He could safely say that he was quite warm under his wet collar, and it was not from the fever. Whilst Aramis' mind was occupied with the thought of Philippine's bared skin, he forgot that he was pretending he wasn't becoming sick.

"Ah-choo!" _Well there went that plan,_ he thought.

All heads whipped around to look at him after his almighty sneeze. Athos raised an eyebrow while Aramis wiped his nose with a wet handkerchief.

"It's no- Ah-soo" Aramis tried to hold this one in but that only managed to make his head hurt from the pressure.

"Oh dear" Planchet said, "how far?" he asked looking from Philippine to Athos.

"Past the bend and over the hill I think." she didn't even look at Planchet when she spoke, Poppy was only looking at Aramis, concern etched across her face as more droplets of water fell from her nose, chin and the brim of her hat, "We need to move faster."

They urged they mounts into a swift trot and made it to the town in under ten minutes, it was another five before they found the packed Inn and made their way to the stables, only to find that they would be short of room by a single stall. Athos found the stable boy sleeping behind some barrels and nudged him gently in the side with his boot. "Are there anymore stalls?"

"No sir." The boy said with a yawn, a resounding crack came from his jaw and he absent-mindedly rubbed it with one hand. "But the one at the end can fit two," with that he wandered off to ready the stalls.

"Well?" Athos said looking at the others.

* * *

They spent the next few minutes deciding which horses would go together, checking them for any injuries and untacking them with the help of the stable boy. It was decided that Buttercup and Nickle would be put in the large stall together, since they seemed least likely to fight. Whilst this was happening Poppy couldn't help but look over at Aramis, this was not an unusual thing for her as in the past two days she had found herself looking at him quite a bit, but this time instead of felling the odd mix of embarrassment and nervousness, now she was consumed with concern for his wellbeing, he wouldn't stop sneezing and now that they were out of the bite of the wind the colour had drained from his handsome face, leaving his features pale and drawn.

_The idiot should have told us, _her thoughts, however hard they seemed if someone could read her mind, held no contempt or bitterness as one would expect. _Stupid idiot man, what did he think he was trying to prove? That he could struggle through it? He could be really sick, crap, what do I do, I don't want him to get sick, hope it's not bad. Need to get him out of those clothes, that would be nice- no he's sick and just no, I can't even trust him... can't I? He hasn't told anyone and he is kinda nice to me, it's fun arguing with him. Gah! He doesn't even like me, why would he? but they way he looked at me that morning...ah damn this is so confusing, when he's better I'm just going to go back to ignoring him, then this will all go away and everything will be normal again. _she peeked another glance at Aramis while he was leaning against a wall trying to ring out his cloak._ Who am I kidding, I'm screwed, but I can still force him to get better and then we'll see what happens I guess._

Aramis decided that needed dry clothes and a proper sleep in his rapidly fogging mind. As he went to pick up his packs Philippine beat him to it, grabbing his bag and throwing it at D'Artagnan who accepted it with a slight nod to his sister before leaving. D'Artagnan knew the signs of a flu and decided to just go with what he knew to be best, which included no heavy lifting. Poppy quickly grabbed her own packs and walked inside after her twin, never once looking back at Aramis.

He frowned, he didn't have nearly enough energy to argue with both of the twin's, and he was much too tired to physically fight D'Artagnan for his bag while simultaneously holding Philippine at bay, he sighed in defeat, realised he had admited surrender a lot since Philippine showed up, and Aramis resolved to just follow on her heals, much to his friends continued amusement. She was wearing him down and wrapping him tighter and tighter around her finger... and she didn't even realize it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok so this chapter was really fun to write, especially the first part, I actually had to stop writing at some points because my hand was trying to keep up with my brain and I kept on getting lost, but no matter. And yes it is a chapter that is actually up on time, who would have thought?**

**Shocked gasps from my lovely readers;**

***there's a chapter up on time***

***what? No way***

***yeah there's one up when she said it would be (points) see look***

***is she sick?***

***nah probably just bored of daytime TV***

***or her brain has finally fried in the heat***

**Aramis: I do not think I approve of you depicting my person in that manner towards the beginning of the chapter.**

**Sunrise: shut up Aramis, you don't own me.**

**Athos: she has you there**

**Sunrise: *raises arms in air and runs around in circles like the crazy person she is* VICTORY!**

**Athos: all right, that's enough**

**Sunrise: right, ahem, sorry.**

**Aramis: we're all screwed**

**Poppy: completely fucked babe. You'll live though *pats him on back***

**As always a huge thank you to my followers, favourites, and most especially my reviewers (Jess, Juti, xxLanaBananaxx, Chocolatluver4ever, Wolf9lucky, Kairi14ole, Emma, justiceintherworldofhp-yearight, purpleXorchid, and all the Guest reviews as well) you guys are all so awesome. **

**Ok so I've been going on for awhile, so on with the story, I mean that is what you're here for and not my crazy ranting after all. :)**

* * *

There were only two rooms left at the Inn, but they were lucky there was even one. The Musketeers, the Twins and Planchet knew heading in that there was the possibility that they may have had to spend the night in a stable, or even camping again, but with Aramis looking worse as the minutes ticked past, they were all thankful for what they could get.

Later that night Planchet, Porthos, and Athos were sitting in the common room, drinking some wine, when D'Artagnan came down the stairs to join them. The occupants of the table turned to look at him.

"He's fine, he's fine" D'Artagnan said taking a seat, "he's asleep, Poppy forced him to eat something when one of the serving girls brought up some food, she's going to stay in case his fever gets any worse but it doesn't look bad. Just needs some rest and some decent food."

"Solid bed and a warm woman more like." Porthos smirked into his cup, unluckily for him D'Artagnan overheard.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said frowning.

"I'm sure he meant nothing by it sir." Planchet said trying to defuse the situation. "Sept that they are quite close." He mumbled, it seemed D'Artagnan's hearing was particularly good this night.

"What?"

"D'Artagnan, please stop your squawking. Aramis is a decent fellow, he wouldn't do anything untoward to your sister, but you do have to admit they would be a force to be reckoned with." Athos said being, yet again the voice of reason.

"No, just no, we are not talking about this. I don't want to hear it, it's not going to happen, no." D'Artagnan was pointing at all of them, shaking his head and making wild gestures as he said this. "Plus he's asleep" he said calming down a little. "They can't do anything while he's asleep…can they?"

A bark of laughter came from Porthos' direction. "Go up and find out if you're so worried" he said.

"No, I'm sure they're fine" D'Artagnan said worriedly, "she can take care of him, I'll go up later, nothing to worry about at the moment."

D'Artagnan's friends just sat, grinning into their cups as he argued with himself, forcing himself to stay in the common room and not to go check on what his imagination told him was happening upstairs.

_He's asleep,_ he repeatedly told himself, _asleep and sick, Poppy won't let him leave the bed let alone touch her, she'll be fine, probably hit him over the head with a table if he tried anything, wouldn't be the first time, yeah, she's fine._

These thoughts let D'Artagnan relax somewhat and he was finally able to enjoy his present company although a little resentful they put the idea into his head to begin with.

* * *

Philippine was sitting in a chair by a heavy wooden desk, cleaning and sharpening her new knives when she heard a cough from the direction of the bed. Looking up she saw Aramis trying to push away his blankets and try to sit up, his movements were slow and clumsy, as she got up from her chair to move closer, Poppy heard Aramis mumbling to himself.

"No, bad covers. Thou art an evil, vile cur. Thy shall be smited with thou dreaded rain stick and thou shalt be banished to an eternity of flower picking and cow ravaging."

Poppy couldn't help but laugh at the nonsense coming from his fevered state. She tried to brush his arms down and the covers back up, but he wasn't making it easy for her.

"Fair maiden, why must thou restrict my person so?"

More laughter followed from Poppy.

"I must move and dance and be one with the wind."

Philippine stopped laughing long enough to grab the cold compress from his head so she could freshen it and so she could reply to his words, by his expression he was very much expecting a reply.

"Okay honey, we'll go dancing tomorrow, but now you have to sleep and be still alright."

She was standing at the basin ringing out the cloth when he wined; "No, that's not how you're meant to say it." He made it sound like her speaking normally was a great crime. Philippine tried not to giggle. "And how, prey tell, must I speak my lord." She said with another giggle.

"You must speak with dignity" he said finally managing to sit up as Poppy leant against the table with one hip; arms crossed and wet cloth in one hand. "Say you helped me."

"I am helping you" she pointed out raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, of course you are" he said waving a dismissive hand at her. "But if you did something really notable…"

"Ah."

"Then I would be inclined to say…" He cleared his throat as if the next few sentences were very important and must be heard properly. "You are a gentleman and a scholar! Go into my stable and take my finest stallion. He's yours. His name is Windjammer."

"Windjammer?" her other eyebrow rose to meat the other as she moved towards the bed. "I thought your horse was called Nickel?" Poppy sat on the edge of the bed and gently pushed on his shoulders so that he would lie down. "And isn't she a mare?" now she placed the cool compress back on his forehead, still smiling.

Their gazes caught as he captured her wrist before she could pull it away. His eyes searched every part of hers before looking at every dip and curve of her facial features and neck, one hand holding her outstretched arm, the other at her hip, holding her in place. Her free hand lay resting against the soft linen of his shirt, covering only a small portion of his firm chest.

"You are so amazing." He said still looking at her with those intense green eyes.

She audibly gulped, trying to pull her captured left hand away; this only caused her to put more pressure on her right arm, forcing her hand more firmly against his chest, her fingers moving on his sternum, subtly felling his muscles.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" he said frowning now.

"All right, you're obviously delusional" Poppy said lightly, trying again to pull her hands away from his warm touch, this only resulted in Aramis tightening his grasp, fingers now digging into the back of her waist and top of her hip, the grip on her wrist now almost bruising.

"No." Was all he said, shaking his head slightly, eyes only leaving hers to look at her lips. "No."

Quicker than she could believe, the hand holing her wrist was at the back of her head, pulling her down to him, while his other arm snaked around her hips to trap her body against him.

Just as he would have claimed her lips, she stopped her decent with as much strength as she could possibly put in her arms, one on the pillow by his head, and the other still pressing against his chest.

"Wait" she whispered on a gasp, she had no idea why she was suddenly whispering, but it felt like she could not speak louder if she tried.

"I've waited long enough" his voice was gravely and his eyes dark as his strength overwhelmed her and he finally claimed her mouth.

* * *

Aramis' hand was twisted in her messy braid at the nape of her neck, forcing her head to the angle he desired. His kiss was hard as she still fought against him, trying to push away, but it was too much for her. Philippine was pulling at the hair on the side of his head when he bit her bottom lip, not quite hard enough to hurt, but with enough pressure to sting. She gasped as her eyes flew open, his vice like grip held her in place as he invaded all her senses. She was pressed flush against him, could smell his scent; a mixture of rain, steal and man. She could taste him as his dexterous tongue flicked at the roof of her mouth before stroking along her own, she could hear the rapid drum beat of her heart as she fought back a moan at his ministrations, her own tongue tentatively replicating the gesture and stroking his own mouth. Her hands once pulling at his hair and pushing at his chest had, by will of their own, turned to caresses, feeling the lines of his face and the muscles of his chest.

He retreated back, this time she did moan at the loss before opening her eyes to look down into his dark forest ones. She was speechless, she had never been kissed like that, she had kissed a few boys back at the village but those had all been chase and childlike in comparison, nothing even came close to this. Just as she was trying to lift the fog from her brain, trying to think of something eloquent and witty, she found herself flipped onto the bed and on her back with Aramis once again attacking her senses. He kissed her once again, only this time he was much gentler, his hand cupped her chin and his weight rested against her. He was heavy to be sure, but somehow, to her, it felt amazingly good. His other hand was skimming up and down her side, making her tremble and shiver. His tongue traced the parting of her lips, as if he was almost asking for entrance, with a hand on the back of his head and one on the side of his neck, moving to clutch at his shoulder, she pulled him down as she opened her lips for him with a sigh. He took control again, tilting her the way he wanted, nipping along her parted lips as she gasped for air. She moaned and gasped as his hand at her side was found on bare skin, tracing designs into her flesh, pulling, loosening the wrapping around her bust. The hand trailed down as he kissed deeper, ravaging her, he grabbed her firm buttocks and pulled her harder against him, wedging his blanket covered thigh at her centre, making her gasp against him even louder. She was pulling at the shoulders of his shirt, trying to get closer, running her fingers beneath the collar and hating the piece of linen. He tilted her face to the side as he bit gently down the exposed tender flesh of her neck, only to place hot, open mouthed kisses all the way back up once he had reached her collar bone, he then proceeded to nibble on her ear lobe and kiss her jaw. The hand caressing the side of her face was still controlling, holding her immobile, not that she wanted to move, but the other was making the journey back up her waist, past her lower ribs, taking her top with it, only to stop and pull down on her loosened coverings; exposing her heaving chest to his touch. His mouth moved back to hers in a scorching kiss, she was so focused on what his mouth was doing to obliterate her senses, she didn't realise at first that his hand had cupped her left breast and was gently massaging it. She arched her back to get closer as she pulled on his shirt, ripping off the top two buttons, his hands were hot, heating up her body with ever masterful touch to a point she didn't think should have been possible. She gasped, eyes flying open and breaking the kiss as his thumb brushed over her pebbled nipple.

In that moment her mind came back to her, she realised what a disreputable state of undress she was in as he kissed and bit his way back down her sensitive neck to her collarbone once again, but this time it didn't look as if he was going to stop there. Philippine became afraid of what she was feeling and as Aramis tweaked her sensitive nipple between thumb and forefinger she pushed and twisted her body in a burst of strength, throwing him off of her, sending him tumbling to the floor, arms flailing around him. Poppy pulled down her top, fled through the door and was out the room before Aramis had even realised he was on the ground, tangled in blankets. His brain fogged with both his lust and with fever couldn't quite cope with what had just happened, all he knew was that he had gotten what he wanted and it was amazing, he was now exhausted from his activities and could not stop himself from falling asleep if he had tried. Aramis crawled back into his bed and promptly fell to sleep with a smile on his face, the taste and smell of Philippine all around him.

* * *

Philippine was sitting in the other room, trying to control her breathing and her rapidly beating heart.

_What the hell just happened_?

Her hands shook as they automatically did the practiced movements of tightening and tying her bindings before straightening her shirt. She was staring into nothingness, trying not to, and yet not being able to stop herself from thinking on the events which had just transpired in the other room. Her trembling fingertips touched her sensitised, bruised lips.

_Why?_ Was the only word she could think for a long time, _he could have anyone, why me?_

She had seen many women looking at him as he had stumbled into the Inn earlier, even the serving girl that had brought their dinner had given him a good look before realising he was ill and turning her attention on D'Artagnan.

_He was delusional, it was just the fever, and he didn't really mean it._ As much as she hurt herself to think it, that theory was more reasonable to her than Aramis actually liking her.

She stayed in that room for what felt like hours, trying to sort out her thoughts and emotions, every now and then her hand would touch a place he had kissed or bit and it sent a shiver through her. It seemed no time at all before Athos, Porthos and Planchet came into the room laughing before stopping with confused looks crossing their faces as they saw her sitting there.

"Philippine" Athos said "what are you doing here?"

"Oh" she said thinking quickly "Aramis was talking nonsense and said he wouldn't sleep as long as there was someone to talk to, so I left." It sounded plausible to her, and held a grain of truth. "I was about to go back and check on him."

With that she rose from her seat and left yet another room.

"Think she's all right?" said Planchet.

"Probably tired" said Porthos with a yawn

"Probably" replied Planchet looking at the door she had left through.

* * *

Philippine walked into the dark room as quietly as possible. She breathed a sigh of relief when Aramis was breathing softly in sleep, she moved away when she had checked the cool compress D'Artagnan must have changed. The brother in question was sitting in the chair and sprawled over the table where she had been sharpening her knives; luckily for all of them he had placed them on a separate table across the room before falling asleep. Poppy placed a blanket over his shoulders before grabbing one for herself and moving to the window seat. She fell asleep looking at the moon and stars, partially hidden by clouds, wondering what would happen next and wishing she could have a glimpse at her future and what it would hold.

* * *

**Ok so ummmm yeah, I need honest reviews for this chapter people, especially if it needs improvement or anything, although fun to write I've never actually written anything like this before. I've seen people making out in movies, read it in books and even does this sort of thing myself, but somehow it's different to write it, more nerve wracking. So please, please, please review, it'll help me improve I'm sure. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Excuses, excuses…. Procrastination, laziness, had a birthday…. Blah blah blah…. Been away, had people over, Supernatural marathon (Oh Jared and Jensen you two hotties that I will never be able to choose between)…. Seem's I've actually been really busy, go me.**

**As always thanks for the reviews :)**

**Just one question, and it's been really bugging me for some reason: Chocolatluver4ever; what the heck does 'less then three' mean?**

**Anyways keep them coming**

* * *

Philippine wasn't just ignoring Aramis now, she was down right avoiding him, and even though she was not physically in the same room, her presence was still felt, mostly in the form of one of her 'minions' as he had silently dubbed his friends after he had awoken with no signs of fever and only a vague notion of what had transpired the previous night.

Aramis was trying to remember a very vivid dream he had had the night before, his stomach turning, heat rising in his cheeks and his brow furrowed in concentration and her pieced it together. He was just about to remember who he was dreaming of when Planchet burst into the room with his lunch.

"Why Mr. Aramis sir" he said with a smile, "should you be sitting up?" he frowned down at Aramis, "Miss. Poppy says you shouldn't be getting out of bed sir."

"Bloody minions" Aramis mumbles under his breath, "I'm quite all right" he said louder, he was absolutely sick of being coddled like some child. Aramis swung his legs to plant his feet on the floor so that he could get out of that thrice dammed bed.

D'Artagnan walked into the room just as he was stretching his stiff arms over his head, apparently nobody in this country knew how to knock. D'Artagnan looked at him with the same frown as Planchet.

"Should you be out of bed? Poppy said-"

"Oh for fu-" Aramis finally snapped, "I am fine. I have no fever and if someone comes anywhere near me with a cold cloth, so help me God…"

"All right, all right" D'Artagnan said holding up his hands in mock surrender, "keep your shirt on."

"Speaking of which…" Planchet said turning around from placing a steaming bowl of grey coloured mush which, supposedly, was meant to be Aramis' lunch on the desk. "Why is you shirt ripped? Did it get caught on something?"

Aramis glanced down at his shirt and realised that his top two buttons had been torn off, a third hanging by a thread. He brought his hand up to touch the linen, his handsome face holding a look of intense confusion until it dawned on him.

"It wasn't a dream" he said out loud, his voice shocked.

D'Artagnan was looking out the window at the fair going on in the street, "what wasn't a dream?" he asked absent mindedly.

"I – we – she -" Aramis struggled to string his words together as D'Artagnan turned to look at him with another frown.

_I can't tell him – me and Poppy – was a dream…but the buttons… I'm dead – special hell. Shit. It was a dream…Wasn't it?_

Aramis looked like he was about to be trampled by a runaway carriage, his eyes wide and looking at D'Artagnan.

"Crap" he murmured, he was stuck for what to say.

Just as D'Artagnan was getting frustrated with his friend's lack of communication, the little noise being made in the room was cut by the very person who was torturing poor Aramis' mind.

"What the Hell are you doing out of bed? Planchet he needs to rest!" Poppy stormed into the room, her face flaring a deep red in colour. It looked like she was extremely cross, but that was a front, in reality she was about to die from embarrassment from just being in the same room as him.

Aramis was struggling not to look over every inch of her body, just remembering the way she had responded last night, the noises she made, had his blood boiling.

_Fuck she looks good_. He thought.

D'Artagnan and Planchet groaned as she rounded on them, she had been a harpy all morning, making them run around looking after Aramis so that she didn't have to step a toe inside the room, they had quickly realised that it was easier to do what she said then have her systematically ruin everything in their day. Philippine rounded on Aramis after she had had a quick word with the other two, her face went an ever darker shade of red as her eyes focused on his lips, heat rising inside her, she struggled not to squirm under his gaze and the look of intense heat he levelled at her, a low thumping started in her lower abdomen.

"Why aren't you in resting?" she hoped they didn't hear the slight catch in her breathing, she managed to fortify her voice as she continued, "Do I have to tie you up?"

"Kinky" D'Artagnan muttered returning to look out the window.

Poppy looked at her brother, face screwed up in distaste, "eww."

Planchet chuckled as Philippine turned back to resume her reprimands of Aramis only to find him still looking at her, but with a far away looking in his eyes, his body rigid, eyes almost black with what he was thinking. At that look her own thoughts suddenly turned to him tying her hands to a nice, soft bed with him above her, ravaging her like he had the night before. The thumping in her lower body intensified to an almost painful level and she struggled not the squeeze her legs together for relief. She made herself breath slowly as she left the room at what she felt was a dignified pace, only to return moments later to grab her role of throwing knives. She accidentally slammed the door behind her in her frustration with Aramis, her brother and mot importantly, herself.

After she left and he was able to regain his composure, Aramis walked over to the now luke-warm bowl of grey mush, wrinkling his nose as he lifted a spoonful of the gluggy stuff, frowning as it slowly slid off the spoon to plop back into the bowl. D'Artagnan and Planchet were watching the tall man, trying not to laugh.

"Do you want some real food?" D'Artagnan asked with a smile getting up and stretching.

"Of Heavens yes" Aramis said looking at him thankfully.

"Lets get you a jacket then" Planchet said helpfully, "it may not be raining but it's still a bit cold sir" grabbing said jacket Planchet also muttered just out of Aramis' earshot; "plus Poppy would kill me if you didn't have one."

With that they headed down to the common room to find Athos and Porthos.

* * *

Athos, Porthos and Philippine was sitting around a table in the empty common room talking.

"Philippine are you feeling alright?" Athos asked when there was a lull in the conversation and Porthos took a drink. "You look quite red; you didn't catch anything from Aramis did you?"

Poppy went even redder and started to play with one for her extremely sharp knives, flipping it back and forth over her fingers, making the men nervous. "I'm fine" was all she would say going an even darker shade of red then thought possible for her pale complexion, her free hand idly touched her slightly brushed lips.

These changes and gestures did not get past Athos. "Something's different" he stated.

"What's different?" Aramis said from behind Poppy making her jump and slam the knife into the table, imbedding the tip deep into the old wood.

Poppy ducked her head down, hiding behind her long, lose, brown locks of hair, and as Athos watched her face he saw something he didn't think was quite feasible, the areas of her face and neck which were visible had gone even redder, a feat he had not thought previously possible, but here he witnessed it, were it this time from embarrassment or Aramis' close proximity Athos didn't know, all he knew was that something had defiantly changed between them. Poppy quickly got out of her seat and started to leave with her role of knives.

"Where are you going?" D'Artagnan asked taking her chair as everyone watched her leave, again. "We only just got here, I thought you would be dragging us around to everything in the fair."

Poppy didn't break stride as she waved the role of knives above her head and said over her shoulder; "Practice" as she walked outside.

"What's outside?" Aramis asked, he hadn't had a chance like the others to look around, being confined to his room and all.

Porthos waved his empty hand, leaning back in his chair and taking another wig of his drink; "Targets outside, she's been there most of the mornin' practicing with various things."

_Perhaps that's why she's been so red _D'Artagnan thought.

_There is defiantly something going on between the two but at least she's channelling her energy into training_ thought Athos.

_I wonder if there's any decent wenches in this town_ Porthos wondered draining his cup.

Planchet just stood humming to himself.

And Aramis' thoughts were angrier than he expected. _Why is she avoiding me? I walk into a room and she walks out, we need to talk about what happened. I want her. Wait – What? She's a kid, what am I doing? _He inwardly groaned. _Maybe she has the right idea, train until you're exhausted, till you can't even think. It's a good plan…kinda._

Aramis resolved to train himself, consequently in the same area as Poppy, but he tried not to think about that or how her body would look, sweat making her hair cling to her, her chest moving with her gasps of exertion. His pants seemed to be getting a little on the tight side again.

_She's too good for your thoughts old man_ he tough, mentally shaking himself.

Philippine walked back in a few minutes later.

"That was quick" D'Artagnan said looking up.

She wiped the misting of sweat from her forehead. "Didn't need much practice, just had to make sure I still got it." Philippine said putting her knives on the table, making a point of not looking at Aramis.

"Can we go to the fair now?" D'Artagnan asked looking hopefully at Poppy.

She huffed in amusement and his attempt at puppy dog eyes. "Fine" she sighed with a smile, "let's go."

"Wait" Athos stood up looking at Poppy "take off the sword" he stated.

"Huh?" she grabbed for the sabre at her hip almost protectively, slightly afraid he might take it from her, she had become very attached to it and its intricate decorations.

Everyone else was looking at him with frowns, not understanding what his plan was.

"You bring too much attention to yourself in a small town like this" he stated. "We should make you ware a dress but I don't think anyone wants a black eye" he looked around at the group of grown men shaking their heads at what a small woman might be able to do to them.

"But-" Athos frowned at her "fine. But I'm not leaving without the hidden blades" she said unstrapping her belt to take off the sabre and its scabbard.

Athos smiled at her, "I wouldn't expect you to."

"I'll go put this away then" and with that she shot up the stairs.

At the mention of weapons Aramis realised he was completely unarmed, something he would usually never be accused of, he went to follow Poppy upstairs before he was stopped by Porthos.

"Where are you going?" Porthos asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Getting weapons" Aramis stated.

"Sure" Porthos said smirking some more making Aramis frown and everyone but D'Artagnan laugh. All D'Artagnan did was frown, not really wanting to say anything just yet but knowing that he should soon.

Aramis just shrugged and left.

* * *

They literally bumped into each other in the hallway; both had been lost in their own thoughts about the other and had run into the side of the other. One was reprimanding themselves for even caring and the other was trying to reason with themselves why they must stay away for the others own good. They both stumbled when they hit the other

"Sorry" Poppy mumbled looking up at him from below her lashes.

Aramis had grabbed her arms to prevent her from falling, her unruly hair was now somewhat tamed in and up-do in her new hairpin with the hidden blade and the creamy expanse of skin on her long slender neck was there for him to gaze at, he could see slight bite marks from the night before developing, marring the soft skin, the sight of his claim only made him want to taste her more, he unconsciously licked his lips but she saw it and her breath quickened. Aramis found that one of his arms had snaked around her waist while one hand was stroking her long neck; she forced herself not to sigh at his touch.

_This is bad._ they both thought, but they still couldn't move away.

His face moved closer to her lips but she pulled away slightly, trying to remain in control but she was in a downward spiral from the moment her touched her. Her pulling away from him ignited his primal hunter instincts, while she was struggling to hold onto her control he forgot what the word 'control' even meant.

_No, you're not getting away,_ he thought almost savagely, _mine now._

He growled deep in his chest, sending a shiver through her before he grabbed the back of her neck, crushing her lips to his in a searing kiss, pulling her slight body against him in a crushing embrace. Poppy fought back only slightly before submitting to the tight hold of the man in front of her. She would never admit out loud that she loved this side of him, when he lost all control, she felt like it was only for her, that only she could make him forget himself like this.

Their tongues battled for dominance, he discovered that she was a fast learner but she was still nowhere near his level of skill, she managed to make up for it with her enthusiasm. He tilted her head more to one side so he could thrust deeper, sending a moan through her as she clutched at his shoulders for support.

"Poppy!" D'Artagnan's voice yelled from downstairs and they broke apart with a gasp to stand on separate sides of the corridor breathing heavily. "What's taking so long, you lost?"

"I'm-" her voice was shaky as the two stared wide-eyed at each other, she cleared her throat. "I'm coming" she yelled back.

"Hurry Aramis up will ya, we're getting bored down here."

"Who's 'we'?" Philippine heard Porthos yell at her brother and she chuckled reaching a hand up to try to fix her hair.

"Well-" Aramis said still panting slightly looking at her flushed cheeks and slight smile.

_This can't happen again_ he thought, he felt guilty, almost like he was corrupting her in some way. _I shouldn't have let it happen to begin with, this will not happen again, it can't happen again._

"Best be going" she broke the strained silence "don't want 'Tagnan wandering off, he would always wander off and get lost when we were kids, drove our parents frantic, threatened to put a collar on him once." She was rambling as her lips tingled from brushing against his stubble; he hadn't shaved in a few days.

"No, you're right, you go" he was having trouble speaking properly as his mind returned to him, he turned away to walk to their rooms without looking back. "I need to get something" she was slightly hurt that he refused to look at her, never once glancing back.

"Ah o-okay, I'll – I'll see you downstairs then." She said after him, she saw his head bob a little but other than that there was no acknowledgement that she had spoken at all. Poppy's chest hurt, he was the one that had kissed her, she didn't exactly stop him, didn't fight back all that hard, but he was the one that had started it and now not a single minute later he was ignoring her, refusing to even look at her when she was speaking to him. She was hurt, and as always when she felt hurt she turned hostile and became rather pissed off. Philippine stormed downstairs where the boys had started up a game of cards.

"Well let's go then" she said turning her anger on their poor unsuspecting heads.

"But we just-" D'Artagnan said looking at her.

She cut across his words, "stay here then, I'm leaving" and she stormed out of the empty inn.

"What the hells wrong with her now" Porthos asked packing up the cards.

"I honestly haven't got a clue, but we'd best get after her before she kills somebody." He meant it as a joke but as soon as D'Artagnan said that it dawned on all of them that she may actually kill anyone stupid enough to annoy her right now, they raced for the door after her.

"But what about Mr. Aramis?" Planchet huffed bringing up the rear of the pack.

"He'll find us later" D'Artagnan said as they hurled themselves into the crowed to find his volatile sister.

* * *

**So there wasn't actually meant to be any nooky in this chapter but they just can't seem to keep away from each other! Oh well, hope you enjoyed. Remember REVIEWS people :)**


	10. Chapter 10

***Pokes head out from behind door* **

**hello, no ones going to throw anything at me are they? … alright I'm coming out now…**

***steps out and quickly ducks down narrowly being missed by a mushy apple***

**Oh hey! Not cool!**

***duck again as a rotten tomato is thrown at her***

**Where the hell are you getting this rotten fruit… eep**

***Dives quickly behind wall to miss being hit with a pumpkin***

**Ok this is getting ridiculous! Why the hell do you have a freaking PUMPKIN! Okay okay peace-offering!**

***Comes back out slowly***

**Look a chapter, a shiny new chapter. Read this and then decide if you want to kill me, deal.**

***No fruit or vegetables are thrown in my general direction***

**I'll take that as a yes then.**

***Remember please review, it feeds the insanity that writes this stuff***

* * *

There was music, laughter and many people talking that night in the tavern, it had seemed as if the whole town and its horse had retired there after the activities of the fair. Tables were crowded, covered in both full and empty cups, chairs were scarce, had you gotten up for another round there was a good chance that it wouldn't be there when you returned, unless your friends protected it with their lives, people were squished into booths and sitting on each others laps so that they had a place to rest their weary feet, folks were standing everywhere, spilling out onto the muddy street. The night held not a cloud, the moon and stars shone so bright only a few lanterns were needed for people to see their way, not that they needed their sight to find the road to the towns social centre, other than the noise, the dense aroma of cooking meat could be smelt on the wind, a side of beef was rotating on a spit over the large outdoor fire, it had been spiced with wine and herbs, trays of the delicious meat were being passed around to have on thick slices of bread slathered in fresh butter. Grease dripped from the beef making the fire sizzle and roar, it looked as if it was alive and dancing, becoming a participant in the festivities instead of just a place of warmth and food. The drinks were flowing and the people were dancing, celebrating that they couldn't have a care in the world… not until their hangovers struck the next morning.

"Poppy, your round" Porthos shouted over the din of the noisy tavern. They were seated right in the middle of the room, and Poppy was nearly dancing in her chair to the music in her happiness, her day had gone surprisingly well and she was in no mood to let her fun end.

"But you took my money" she said just as loudly, waving her almost empty cup at him. She had a brilliant idea to mess with Porthos, if only D'Artagnan helped.

"It was my money and you stole it woman" he growled back, "now earn yer keep and maybe find a way to earn some money."

Porthos had accidentally implied something she could use and Poppy shot a quick glance at D'Artagnan, which everyone at the table caught but Porthos, now they were in on the joke.

"Whoa whoa whoa" D'Artagnan said shaking his head while Athos and Planchet laughed silently.

"Ha ha, you're funny" Poppy said sarcastically, "I ain't no whore, and anyways I'd be too expensive for this lot" she said smirking at Porthos while waving her arm to indicate the packed inn, overflowing with the towns' people and visitors like themselves.

"I wasn't calling you a whore woman" Porthos said with a shocked expression, "I meant, I thought you could – no one would notice when it's this…" He was spluttering, tripping over his own words, and nobody seemed obliged to help him.

"By God, spit it out man" Athos laughed from across the table.

"Yes what are you trying to say my dear Porthos" Philippine said leaning back in her chair with a raised eyebrow, struggling to hold back her laughter and act serious.

"I meant you could steal it!" Porthos yelled at the small woman beside him, completely red in the race from embarrassment.

Poppy couldn't contain herself any longer and burst out laughing, she laughed so hard that her sides began to hurt and she almost toppled off of her seat, luckily for her D'Artagnan grabbed her arm before she could fall.

"You shouldn't let her bait you" D'Artagnan said with a smile to Porthos as the rest of the table also crumbled with laughter.

"Wait, what?" Porthos was very confused, "She knew what I meant?"

"No shit" Poppy said still laughing and gasping for breath to calm herself down. "Oh God your face" and she began laughing anew.

D'Artagnan handed her some coins and pushed her up out of the chair in the direction of the bar, "Put him out of his misery will you." Poppy left still laughing like a deranged hyena, fluidly ducking under arms and around bodies on her search for more alcohol.

"Bloody wench" Porthos grumbled into his empty cup. The table began laughing again, but settled down quite quickly into an almost contemplative silence.

"So Aramis" Athos stated startling Aramis out of his thoughts, "taken a vow of silence have we?"

Aramis shook his head and drank half his cup of wine in a single gulp.

"What's wrong with you man? You've been grumpy all day, at least Poppy cheered up but you just keep getting worse" D'Artagnan said while checking the empty flagons on the table, wondering what was taking Poppy so long.

"He keeps scaring away the girls" Porthos grumbled, it was true, every time a working girl, a scurry maid or even a girl just curious as to who they were came over, Aramis would glare at her so much that even the bravest scurried away as soon as they could.

"Well Miss Philippine only began to snap out of it when those men began were talking to her at one of the game stalls" Planchet said, "and she got even better when that handsome fellow from the flower stall gave her his prize-winning Lilly, and again when-"

Planchet's list was cut short by Aramis slamming his, now empty, cup down on the table making everyone jump in their seats.

"Think he's a touch jealous" Porthos mockingly said behind his hand to Athos loud enough for the rest of the table to hear.

"I am not jealous of those fops" Aramis growled glaring daggers at all of his friends, almost daring them to continue on this line of conversation.

"Then you wont mind that she is being chat up over there" Athos said pointing to where Philippine had been stopped by four men. She was frowning at them and trying to get past.

"Looks like she's in trouble" Porthos said frowning.

Aramis stood, his hands holding onto the edge of the table so hard that the whites of his knuckles showed, anymore pressure and the old wooden table was like to crack if not break completely.

"Aramis" D'Artagnan said, "calm down, she can handle them."

"Oh look, that one spilt the flagon." Porthos continued to commentate, "she looks mad, and now the small ones got her arm, yeah now she's pissed. I've got ten on her spilling blood."

"Come on" D'Artagnan sighed rising slowly, "let's go save the poor bastards."

"Too late" Porthos said.

"Huh?"

"Aramis is already there" he said pointing.

* * *

Philippine was struggling more and more to make her way back from the bar through the dense throng of muddy, sweaty, drunk people, who all seemed on a mission to push her over and get in her way, so when a space opened up in front of her she spun to miss an elbow and ducked through, only to connect with someone's back.

"Sorry" she mumbled to the unknown person and went to continue when a large body moved to block her way. "Excuse me" she said as she tried to move past, but the man stepped into her way again. Poppy looked up a considerable distance at his crooked smile which showed that he had a few teeth missing. "Look mister, I need to get back-"

"Oh come on girl" Poppy heard from behind her, "you don't have to be like that."

Poppy turned around to look at the man she had first bumped into, the only noticeable feature of the mans face was that he had a long thin nose which turned up at the end, it looked much like a fishing hook, that and his thin cracked lips that looked as if he had pulled some of the skin off, he was also much shorter than his friend, only half a head taller than her, but he carried himself with almost as much confidence as she had seen from the Three Musketeers and D'Artagnan combined. This may have been because of the three grubby, large men blocking her exits and presumably backing up the smaller man.

Philippine looked at the smaller man who was now leering at her, "my friends are waiting for me so…" she turned to leave again and duck under the toothless mans arm when one of the ringleaders cronies placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around with more force then was necessary. Poppy stumbled but managed to right herself quite quickly without spilling any wine.

"Now don't do that, we haven't even been introduced yet darlin'" crony number two with the bad comb-over said.

Her lower back hit a table as she backed away from his bad breath.

"Now look at that Luke" the shorter man said now staring at her breasts and licking those thin, cracked lips. "You'll scare the poor girl."

Poppy sent a quick look over to her friends who were all looking at Aramis as he slammed his cup down on the table.

_That can't be good_ Poppy thought. She had been winding the poor man up all day, being overly nice to men that had been harmlessly talking to her, sending glances at him to gauge his reactions only to be overly flirtatious when she saw he was getting annoyed, the whole time thinking; '_if you don't want me then I can find someone who will_'. She was hurt by his earlier actions and wanted him to realise what he was missing, not knowing that he was now about ready to snap. A part of her felt some shame at her actions seeing that he was now glaring threateningly at his friends, but it was only a very small part.

Philippine came back to reality when the thugs containing her were almost choking on their own tongs at a joke the smaller man had told, presumably at her expense and she frowned at them.

"If you don't mind" she said moving more forcefully and with a touch of venom in her tone, "I would like to get back to my friends now." Poppy tried to push past toothless but he knocked her arm and made her spill half the flagon on red wine down the front of her white shirt.

"Now look here" the small man said with a strange glint in his eye which Poppy missed in her momentary sorrow over the spilt alcohol, but had she caught it, it would have scared her to her very bones. "We ain't done with our fun yet" he said as he spun her around with more force than she thought was possible for someone his size and scrawniness.

Philippine ripped her arm out of his grasp and was about to take out one of her wrist blades (the flagon now rolling around the floor forgotten) when a hand with long fingers and a rough callused grip landed on the small mans shoulder.

Poppy looked above the shorter mans head as she heard a very familiar voice, "I think you will find that she is mine" Aramis said. She fought to suppress a shiver of delight at the gruffness and the anger she heard held in that simple, claiming statement.

"Well we ain't done here lad" the short man said turning to look at who had stopped him. He had to take a step back to look up at Aramis properly, the second step was because of the dangerous look on Aramis' face, and he looked ready beat the small man to death with his bare hands. Shorty was almost standing on top of Poppy now and she wrinkled her nose at the smell of stale sweat coming from him. Toothless and comb-over were on either side of Philippine, the other crony was floating around somewhere and the short ringleader was still in front of her, she was completely blocked in, it was so tight that she couldn't even duck under the table without alerting them to her movements.

"I say you are" Aramis said his voice dripping with venom and contempt.

"Think the girl wants to stay with us" the small man said puffing out his chest attempting to look bigger and trying for some bravo, remembering his three cronies, noticing that there was only one of Aramis. Poppy knew that this would not end well if she didn't do something.

"Ah, hey guys, I'm still here you know" she waved her hands for emphasis, all eyes turned to her, most of them glaring.

_Probably shouldn't have done that_ she thought.

"Come with me" Aramis growled at her, completely ignoring the other men.

Poppy was a little bit scared of Aramis now, not knowing what he would do, it was making adrenalin pump through her, every sense of awareness heightened.

"Ye-" she tried to clear he throat "yeah, sure, umm excuse me" She said to the small man as she brushed past.

The ringleader grabbed her arm and pushed her back snarling "you ain't going anywhere bitch." He turned back around to face Aramis and didn't know what hit him.

* * *

Poppy and the three cronies were looking down at the small man on the floor as he rubbed his already swelling jaw.

"You will not speak in such a manner to, or about, my woman." Aramis said also looking downs at him, there was no sign about him that indicated that he had just decked someone. "Do you understand?" The small mans eyes were as big as the full moon as he looked up; he nodded his head slowly in understanding. "Then get the fuck out of my sight." Aramis' voice was so low you could barely hear it, but the danger should they not do as he said sunk down and shook the very foundations of their over stuffed confidences, Poppy thought it was a miracle none of them wet themselves.

The small man scrambled to his feet and with one last 'eat shit and die' glare at Aramis and Poppy he left with his buddies who grumbled the whole way. No one in the tavern saw the exchange; either that or they simply didn't care.

Aramis was looking at her, "you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she remembered what an arse he had been, "I could have handled it" she sneered. "Where are the others?" she looked at their table and their friends waved at them, happy drunken amused smiles on their stupid faces.

Aramis grunted and grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him. She was getting very sick very quickly of being grabbed in such a manner.

"Come with me" he said leading them to the stairs.

"Like I have a choice" Philippine muttered under her breath, she looked back at D'Artagnan who had a worried look on his face, 'I'm fine' she mouthed at him and he slightly nodded his head going back to his drinking and poking more fun at Porthos.

* * *

When Aramis had dragged her almost to their rooms Poppy decided she had had just about enough of this overbearing attitude. Philippine once again had to rip her arm out of a mans painful grip, she could already feel the burses forming. She planted her feet and glared up at him.

"What the hell is your problem?" she half shouted at him. He just stood there and looked at her, a fire burning behind his eyes. "I could have taken them, I didn't need nor want you stupid help!"

_You stupid idiotic man_ she thought, _I don't need anyone, let alone you to help me! I can take care of my self!_

"And what…" his voice was dangerously low again, "would you have done?" He grabbed her quick as a striking snake and slammed her small body against the wall, knocking the air out of her with an 'oomph'. One of his hands was on either of her upper arms, holding her in place, his face millimetres from her own.

"Would you have hit them?" His hands went to her hands, gripping tightly until she whimpered.

"Would you have" he paused, "cut" another, shorter pause, "them?" And he pulled out one of her knives and dragged it from the edge of her pants all the way up to rest at the main artery of her throat, the whole way up he held just enough pressure on the knife that she could hear it scrape across the fabric, could feel the cool metal tip but not enough that it would part her ruined, sodden shirt, the knife quivered slightly from the beat of her pulse where it rested against her neck.

She could hear her own thunderous racing heart beat in her ears, almost drowning out his words, she was too scared by this renewed anger directed at her that she couldn't fight back, even if she had thought of the possibility, Poppy was completely frozen.

"If this place had guards of any sort they would have been summoned and undue attention would have been called upon us. It was your own idea to not be noticed, and you would have blown all of that because of some stupid pig fuckers." He was whispering dangerously in her ear and she couldn't suppress her shudder of delight as his lips brushed against her skin. Poppy's earlier adrenalin rush and the threat of the very sharp knife, which was still being held to her throat, had made her whole body overly attuned to everything around her. Every one of his breaths was sending a new wave of pleasure through her, the palms of her hands were flat against the wood of the wall and she could feel every ruff indentation digging into her soft skin. One of his hands had a tight grip on her right hip and it was all she could do not to whimper, to try to shift her body closer to his as Aramis was holding his own body away from her. She wanted him so badly, but she couldn't let him do this to her again.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered catching the smell of him in he nose, he smelt of wine, of sweat, horse, leather and musk, he smelt of man, it was the best scent she had ever come across and she was melting from it.

"To you?" he said bewildered pulling back a little,_ what game is she playing at?_ He thought, "I have tried to stay away from you, to see you as just another friend, but you couldn't let up" he said.

"Me?" Philippine was shocked he would accuse her of anything in this.

"Yes you, you ignore me, then you care for me, now you completely avoid me." Aramis was getting annoyed with her and her feigned ignorance of what was happening. "Each time I have to walk away for your own good!"

"My own-" Poppy was completely taken aback by this, "My own Good!" now she was royally pissed off. "You are an arse! You fucking want me then you don't, I talk to someone and you get all pissy but you won't even speak to me yourself, so who am I meant to talk to? You bloody well know that I could have handled myself back there and wouldn't have touched those pricks had God himself commanded me to, but you still come in on your stupid high horse and try to rescue me anyway!" She had poked him in the chest a few times for emphasis, completely forgetting about the knife, she completely missed that he was somehow becoming more annoyed. "You have no right! I am not your woman and I will not let you mess with my head any lon-"

Poppy was cut off quite savagely from her tirade by Aramis imbedding her knife deep into the wood barely and inch away from her temple; he stood to his full height with only a centimetre between their bodies. His hands splayed on either side of her shoulders.

"You are mine." He growled. "I promised myself time and again that I would keep away from you, you're much too good for me, but I will not let some asshole have you, not now, not ever. You. Are. Mine."

Both their chests were heaving as they looked at each other. Two words popped into Philippine's mind and before she could process what the repercussions could be they were out into the world.

"Prove it."

* * *

**Ah ha! cliffhanger! You can't kill me now!**

***Runs away cackling like a deranged lunatic when the gate is left open.***

**AU REVOIR HAMPSTERS *said with really bad fake French accent* **


	11. Chapter 11

***Aramis has Poppy pressed against the wall***

**Aramis: How long do we have to stay like this, my foot's cramping.**

**Poppy: Aww your poor foot, I'm getting splinters over here, and not in very nice places.**

***Sunrise walks up holding a cup of tea whilst reading a book***

**Sunrise: hey guys how's it going?**

***Sunrise keeps walking past them not even raising her eyes from the page***

**Aramis: we've been like this almost a week**

**Poppy: yeah can you get on with it**

***Sunrise stops and turns around***

**Sunrise: I suppose you guys could use some sexytime**

***The magical writing force holding them in place releases them***

**Aramis: Sexytime?**

**Poppy: oh hot damn yes**

***Poppy does a little dance and Aramis looks like he thinking really hard about something***

**Aramis: If anyone interrupts this time I'm going to kill them understood.**

***Sunrise has an amused expression on her face***

**Sunrise: all righty then, I'll just go post this chapter that's been ready for a week**

***Sunrise walks away and Poppy shouts at her back***

**Poppy: you mean you just been torturing us? You're such a bitch.**

***Sunrise laughs***

**Sunrise: I know, get used to it.**

**If you didn't catch that there will be some sexytime in this chapter…. Well really most of the chapter so if you don't like that stuff (don't know why you would be reading this fanfic if you didn't) then there is a bit at the end you can read but otherwise you could skip this chapter…. I guess….**

**And thank you to everyone that has Reviewed, Followed and Favourited. **

**RoseDew, I would want you to expire so here you go**

**Druid Archer, no more rotten fruit, please enough, here take the chapter, I don't want to smell like rotten cabbage anymore, it's not flattering.**

**And thank you to Wolf9lucky and Chocolatluver4ever; you guys are, as always, the best 3**

* * *

"Prove it" she said challenging him, they were angry and stubborn, too stubborn to back down now, not that either of them really wanted to.

Aramis' hands moved from the wall to her shoulders as he closed the tiny gap between them. "If you're bluffing" his voice was gravely with held back arousal, "then tell me now because I'm not stopping, I want you too much and it's been a while, I -" his hands trailed up and down her sides.

"Words are wind and -" her words caught as he touched her stomach under her shirt, "and I told you to prove it, or are you to much of a pussy to -"

Aramis grasped her hips savagely and pulled her as close to himself as possible, moving his head down to capture her lips, not waiting for her to open her mouth but savagely thrusting his tongue inside. Poppy moaned against him, her hands rising up his taunt chest, around his neck and up to grasp the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling on the strands slightly. Aramis growled at that, pushing her firmly up against the wall. She pulled his mouth even harder against her as their tongues battled and his hands wandered. Both of those dexterous hands molded to her confined breasts making her gasp, he squeezed then moved down tracing her sides to her hips before going around to her back and traversing the planes of her spine, making her arch into him. Poppy ferociously scraped her nails down the back of his head and around his neck whilst biting on his lower lip. He growled down at her, deep in his chest, making her shiver, before he reached down to grasp her posterior in both hands, lifting her up against the wall closer to his level so that he didn't have to bend down as far. Poppy instinctively parted her legs, letting him step between so that she could wrap them around his waist, bringing her center into contact with his taunt abdomen. She squeezed her legs a little trying to put more pressure where her body burned for him to be. Her whole awareness was locked on where they touched, where they were connected by taste and touch. As she squeezed more Aramis bucked his pelvis into her, she broke the kiss to gasp in air as the bulge in his pants brushed against where she ached for him. His mouth attacked her neck as he rocked slightly against her with a slow heavy rhythm and she hissed in pleasure.

"Ah, oh God Aramis" she moaned low and held on tight as he resumed kissing her.

She couldn't breath, couldn't even think as he rocked against her through their clothes. Her body was burning, a fever taking hold of her, it concentrated in her lower abdomen and felt as if it was tightening, as if she was about to fall, or explode, she didn't know which but her body kept getting higher, coiling tighter. Poppy had to break their kiss to breath, her head was spinning, and she buried her forehead into his neck and just held on, gasping for air.

Aramis kissed her neck tenderly, "I've got you" he whispered into her ear before he grasped the side of her head with one hand and turned her to face him. Aramis looked into the blue depths for her eyes, another feature she shared with her twin, only to see that they were glazed over, not really seeing him but focused on feeling, her face leaned against his hand for support as she moaned softly.

Poppy was close, he could see that, but he was closer, his whole body was taunt as a bow-string, he was almost in pain but the suffering was amazing, she was so soft and fit perfectly against him. He finally had her and he was about to spill himself in his pants, in a hallway, before her. He had to calm himself down; he wasn't some boy with his fist woman. Aramis kissed her, softly at first but soon changed his angle to thrust deep with his tongue, tangling with hers to coax her into a heated battle of dominance. She responded slowly at first, but soon eagerly engaged with him, swallowing her disappointment that his hips had ceased their thrusting.

His hand at her face stroked lightly before trailing down her throat, down the center of her chest and down to her belt. Aramis stilled his hand for a moment, lightly trailing his finger across the exposed skin above her pants, when her shirt had become so disheveled he did not know, nor did he really care. His hand slipped down lower, slipping between their bodies to cup her and apply some much-needed pressure.

* * *

Poppy's head flew back and almost hit the wood of the wall at this new contact. She gasped for breath, at a loss for words as his fingers curled and rubbed against her most sensitive area.

She mewed "I don't – I can't -" she gasped as his hands kneaded her sensitive flesh.

Aramis watched her face as she began to fall apart beneath his touch. He leaned in to kiss her neck again, a smirk on his face that quickly faded as he heard a noise coming from the stairs. Aramis' head shot up and he stilled completely.

"Aramis" Poppy moaned quietly into his shoulder.

"Shh" Was all that came from Aramis.

Philippine didn't want to but she stilled and used her diminished concentration to recognize what Aramis was hearing. Before she had registered that what they were hearing was heavy footsteps and drunken laughter of people coming up the stairs Aramis was already carrying her to their room. By the time they had entered and she had been gently proped up to leaned back against the door, feet now back on solid ground, Poppy had had enough time to actually think on what they were doing. She placed her palms against his chest and pushed back with just enough pressure that he would notice but not enough that he would untangle his arms from behind her.

"Wait" she said slightly breathless.

Aramis looked at her quizzically, to wound up for his vocal cords to be of much use, so he arched an eyebrow in question.

"I – I don't" she didn't really know what she was trying to say but it was important, she knew that much. With the way he was looking at her she felt very nervous, his eyes were almost black with how large his irises had become, his face looked to be made of stone. "I don't know how…" she trailed off and looked at him beseechingly, hoping he would somehow understand.

A blank look of confusion covered his face for a few moments before he realised what she was trying to say. He groaned inwardly at the implications but he would never force her.

"We will go slow" it almost pained him to say it, "When you are ready we can, go further, I can wait, I would not – I would never…"

Poppy chuckled quietly and pulled him down for a soft tentative kiss, silencing him. "I know, I'm just not ready to, do that, yet. But does that mean we need to stop now?" She was curious, she had felt so good and something was building inside her, she wanted to know what it was and as always her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Aramis smiled and kissed her softly, slowly deepening the kiss until she was again gasping for breath and clutching at him. Poppy was again unable to stand on her own feet, her legs having turned to mush. Aramis resumed touching her, gliding his hands everywhere, cupping and moulding her muscles and flesh beneath his hands. Aramis had unbuttoned her wine stained shirt and the linen wrappings were bunched around her tiny waist, ends trailing past her hips and pants to the floor. He leaned back slightly to get a better look at her pert breasts, her peaks becoming taunt as they were exposed to the gaze of the man in front of her; she fought not to cover herself from embarrassment. He was staring so long that Poppy started to shift uncomfortably until his hand reached up to brush her left pebbled nipple making her gasp, he repeated the gesture and she moaned loudly, leaning against the door for support.

Aramis nibbled along her neck as he cupped her breasts with both hands, twisting the sensitive tips between his fingers. Poppy could barely think and as Aramis twisted and pinched at her breasts while attacking her neck with open mouthed kisses and tiny nips, she bit into his shoulder to muffle her moans while digging her sharp fingernails into his back. His head shot up and he gasped at the slight stings but she didn't let go, it was then he realised that she would be a scratcher and a biter, if they were to be together he would come out with many war wounds, and he would revel in them, they would be her mark on him as his bite marks were on her. Aramis smiled and pulled on her hair none to gently so that her head fell back and he could claim her mouth again, one hand still kneaded her breasts as his other drifted down to her hip to pull her firmly against him, his restrained cock pushing against her stomach.

Poppy's hands were everywhere, touching anything that she could, they ran down his back to grip his firm tight butt only to go back up to his belt, circle around to the front and work themselves up his torso, they completely skipped past the place he most wanted those hands. Aramis decided to show by example and dragged his hand at her hip around to her front. He undid the ties of her pants and the buckle of her belt one-handed, it was a more difficult task then he realised but he persisted and eventually prevailed. Aramis let the kiss soften so that she could breathe before he slipped his right hand into her unders and down past the small curls covering her mound.

"Aramis, what… Ahh -" Poppy tried to understand what he was doing but as his long fingers entered her wet folds she no longer had words. She clutched at his shoulders again and buried her head into his muscled chest, holding on for dear life as he stroked her and she rode the sensations, she didn't think it could get any better.

* * *

Aramis couldn't believe how wet she was for him, or how responsive, if she hadn't have been wearing clothes he wouldn't have been surprised if she had been dripping for him. He groaned at how good she felt, all soft and warm, he smiled to himself when he heard her gasp against him as he found her sensitive nub. Poppy's hips bucked sporadically trying to find a rhythm and she bit back many moans at his ministrations. It was all becoming too much and that elusive peak was getting closer and closer, but she felt she needed something.

"I – Ahh" she couldn't stop the moan which escaped.

"You need more?" Aramis positively purred into her ear in a husky tone, sending a shiver through her as his breath teased the sensitive flesh.

All she could do was nod her head and clutch him tighter to herself. Poppy almost screamed as he slipped one of his fingers into her, instead she bit down hard onto his right pectoral muscle. Aramis couldn't believe how tight she was around just one finger as he stroked her tight channel, his thumb still playing with her clit. When his finger was fully inside her she gasped at the foreign feel and almost tried to wriggle away, his hand stilled as she became accustomed to the feel of it and as she relaxed against him Aramis slowly began to move his hand, his thumb flicked over her nub as his finger caressed her insides. His breathing was laboured as he tried to catch his own breath, he tried to stretch her muscles further by inserting a second finger and she bit down harder while her fingers dug into his biceps, her channel was like a vice around him so he stilled again to let her grow accustomed, he would have a few bruises in the morning from her mouth and hands.

As his other finger pushed into her Poppy bit him to stop from crying out in pain as she stretched around him, she stretched but didn't break, her Maidenhead remaining intact. Poppy felt stuffed and a little uncomfortable as her inner muscles gripped him, but as the sharp burst of pain subsided she began to relax again and she realised that he could now rub more of the delicious spots inside of her which were making little flashes of light go off behind her eyes. Her hips moved slightly against Aramis' hand trying to gain more friction as she slowly stretched around him, eventually becoming more comfortable with him being inside her. His hand stroked in time with her hips movements, his other still paying attention to her breasts as he kissed on the sensitive skin of her neck. He wanted to taste those pert mounds and so his mouth slowly moved down across her chest to lave his tongue over the sensitive tips. Poppy cried out as his mouth sucked on one nipple then the other, he sucked in time with the thrust of his fingers before moving around to the rest of her breast giving attention to every inch or skin, as he did with her neck he did to her breasts nibbling then licking the hurt to sooth, driving her higher and higher, never wanting it to stop. Poppy couldn't hold back her moans, she couldn't hold back anything any longer, and as he harshly bit down on an abused nipple she came with a muffled scream. His hands and mouth continued to work on and within her, stroking and rubbing at her clit and inner walls, making her orgasm last much longer, wave after wave crashed over her and he didn't stop until she couldn't breath, her body spazzaming against him. Aramis cupped her chin tenderly, refusing to acknowledge his own wants as he kissed her chastely before withdrawing his hand from her, sending another shudder through her exhausted body while she softly whimpered.

* * *

Poppy's brain had officially melted from this new experience and she looked up at him, she was incredibly happy and relaxed, her muscles numb beneath her. She tried to release her tight grip on his arms and almost fell in the attempt, her legs not wishing to support her. Aramis gathered her against him, wrapping his arms around her slight form so she wouldn't fall. Unfortunately for him this brought his confined cock to rest against her soft skin. Poppy gasped as she felt his engorged manhood pressed against her stomach.

"You haven't…?" she asked, Poppy knew that the man found some, if not more, pleasure in the act then the woman, she knew the basics of how it worked, she had grown up on a farm, and she was being taught to be a 'proper lady' at the convent but the only explanation she had ever received was that _'the male goes into the female, spills his seed and if God blesses the union there shall be a child'_. I wasn't very helpful, but she still couldn't understand why Aramis didn't take his pleasure, she felt so wonderful, she wanted him to feel the same way.

"Why didn't…?" full coherent sentences seemed to be beyond her.

Aramis smiled tightly as her small movements created friction along his shaft.

"It is okay" he groaned "I do not need -"

"God that's dumb" Poppy said rolling her eyes, she stilled as she got an idea; perhaps she could so the same thing for him as he had done for her, use her hands. Before he could stop her she had cupped his substantial manhood through the fabric of his pants.

Aramis' breath hitched and he froze at the contact, eyes fixed on a knot in the wood of the door. Poppy's face was completely red from what she had done, it was a rash decision and now he looked to be in pain. She went to pull her hand back but he quickly cupped it in his own, tightening his fingers, pushing her more firmly against him, instructing her to squeeze slightly. She thought she must have squeezed too hard because he gasped as his head fell forward and his free hand shot out to lean against the door, his forehead resting on hers. Aramis had to take a few deep fortifying breaths before he was able to speak.

"Like this" he said as he rubbed her hand over his crotch looking straight into the depths of her blue eyes, she bit her swollen red bottom lip as she looked down at where there hands were working together. Aramis tried not to groan as he attempted to still his hips, he wanted so much to thrust into her hand, to open his pants and feel her skin on his, but he couldn't, it would probably scare her to do so and the last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him, or to run away, he didn't think he could take it if she ran. Poppy cupped him again, gaining more confidence and applying more pressure, she used one finger to trace the outline on his cock through his pants, flicking her nail across the tip, which elicited a gasp from him, to trace back down to his base. She refused to let herself think on the hurt only two of his finders had caused and to compare their length and width to what was beneath her fingers, it was large even in its confined space and as much as she wanted to be as close to him as possible the thought of that inside her sent fear through her, Poppy knew he would never intentionally hurt her but it scared her all the same. She could feel his tense muscles as he struggles to hold himself in check and she smiled at that looking back up at him, at his strong jaw clenched in concentration, his eyes looking far away. Poppy reached out with her free hand to cup the side of his jaw so that she could turn him to face her. She bit down on her lower lip once again as he looked at her properly now, she reached up on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on the stubble of his jaw as she tightened her hand around him again.

Aramis gasped for breath as he lost control, his hips thrusting slightly against her as he came with a blinding intensity, his whole body shook as he saw heaven, his arms and legs trembling. It was lucky for Poppy that his arm still supported his weight on the door otherwise he may have fallen on her.

* * *

Aramis breathed heavily as he came back down to earth to find Poppy smiling at him. His face was completely stoic as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck, breathing in the faint scent of roses that was always with her. Aramis leaned against the door as he wrapped his other arm around her, holding her close. Poppy felt a little awkward and embarrassed but she buried her face in his chest, and listened to his heart as it returned to a normal pace. Aramis didnt know how long he stood there and as he tried to say something, anything someone tried to open the door. Panicked looks crossed their faces as they froze in place.

"Aramis I think the doors stuck" D'Artagnan called from the hallway.

_Shit_ they both thought. The two thanked their lucky stars that Aramis' weight was still leaning against the door, all of his six-foot muscled frame, making the door appear to be stuck. The door knob rattled again, "Aramis? Poppy? You in there?" D'Artagnan was still trying to pry the door open.

"Get in the bed" Aramis whispered to Philippine.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Get in the bed and look like you're asleep" he pushed her in the direction of the bed.

It took Poppy longer then she was willing to admit for her to realise what Aramis was trying to say. That time was spent looking at him with confusion as he held the door shut with one hand and motioning for her to move with the other. As soon as she understood his message Poppy scrambled to the bed, tearing off her shoes on the way and chucking them in different directions across the room. As she dived under the sheets she pulled her shirt together and lay on her stomach, throwing her left arm over the edge to dangle to the floor, she kicked at the sheets making them appear rumbled and so that they didn't cover her right leg from the knee down. Poppy also pulled the sheets up to her shoulders before focusing on slowing her thunderous heart, relaxing her tense muscles and slowing her breathing, all to make it seem that she had been asleep. This took only moments but Aramis spent those seconds thinking up an explanation for why the door wouldn't open.

"Guy's come on, let me in" D'Artagnan whined from behind the door, "It's getting cold out -"

"Shut up" Aramis hissed through the door, "your sister's asleep and if you wake her up I will make her aware of who has woken her if you do not be quiet right now."

That made D'Artagnan pause, Poppy wasn't exactly the friendliest person of you woke her unnecessarily.

"Why won't it open though?" D'Artagnan asked through the wood.

"I don't know" Aramis lied "I think it's stuck, hang on and let me try something" He put his right hand on the door knob ready to pull it open, he kicked the bottom corner with his booted foot and with a thump and a shudder of the wood in its frame he quickly pulled the door open and D'Artagnan came stumbling through. D'Artagnan quickly caught himself before he could barrel into Aramis, something Aramis was great full for since the front of his pants were still wet, a fact which the dim lighting in the room hid, he was just happy D'Artagnan had had enough wine not to notice.

"Where's Poppy?" D'Artagnan whispered rather loudly squinting around the room.

"Sleeping on the bed so I suggest you -" Aramis explained in a soft whisper before being cut off by his drunk friend.

"Shh" D'Artagnan shushed him loudly putting a finger to Aramis' lips, "We don't want to wake little Philippine, she can be a cow in the morning."

"I'll be more than a cow in a minuet if you two don't shut the hell up." Poppy grumbled from the bed, the sheets rustling a little as she shifted. Aramis was mildly surprised at how much she sounded like she had just woken up.

"Sorry Poppy" D'Artagnan mumbled.

Poppy humped and tried to settle into sleep properly only to let out a muffled screech as D'Artagnan flopped down on his back on the bed, mostly on top of her.

"What are you doing?" Poppy screeched, inside she was very happy that she had done up her shirt. "Get off me freak, you're crushing me"

"I'm going to sleep, night Pips" D'Artagnan said yawning "and how the heck do you manage to take up so much room when you're so small squirt?"

"I can't breath stupid" she said trying to push him off her back.

"Quit kicking me" he said as she tried to kick the back of his leg.

"Quit squishing me" she bit back.

"Well move over" he retorted.

"You move over, I was here first" was her response.

"You're such a pain" he said exacerbated.

"You're the pain I think you cracked my rib, you weigh as much as a cow" she tried pushing herself up but their combined weight was too much for her arms.

"You're a cow" he said remaining where he was.

"Nice come back bitch" she huffed.

"You're the bitch" he said.

"Just get off me" she was getting fed up.

"No I'm comphy now" D'Artagnan said smugly knowing it would just piss her off.

"Get off me, don't make me hurt you" she warned

"Like you could" he said "ow don't pull my hair"

"Then get off" Poppy said calmly, reaching around to pull on the back of his head.

"Stop pinching me" he whined as she pinched his arms with her sharp fingernails.

"Get off" she stated.

"Ow, fuck, okay jezz woman relax" D'Artagnan finally moved off of her and she pulled her legs toward herself turning on her side away from him.

"Go to the window seat" she said.

"Aramis can sleep there, now hush up and sleep silly" he said patting the top of her head.

"Idiot" she grumbled. Poppy saw that Aramis was looking at the twins trying to stifle his laughter _'sod off'_ she mouthed at him, stupid man that he was just winked at her and went to stretched out as much as he could on the cramped window seat as D'Artagnan began snoring.

"Of for fu -" Poppy moaned in annoyance, she rolled over onto her other side to face D'Artagnan lying on his back. "'Tagnan quit snoring" she said punching him in the kidney.

D'Artagnan grumbled as he rolled over and went back to sleep.

Poppy tried to get some sleep; she was exhausted and tomorrow was going to be a long day back in the saddles.

* * *

***Aramis glairs at D'Artagnan***

**D'Artagnan: what?**

***Aramis eyes went to a baseball bat that magically appeared in the corner***

**D'Artagnan: why is there a baseball bat?**

***Aramis picks up the bat weighing it in his hands***

**D'Artagnan: whoa whoa whoa, what are you doing with that?**

***Poppy to Sunrise rubbing the bridge of her nose***

**Poppy: why did you give him a bat?**

**Sunrise: wanted to see what was going to happen.**

**Poppy: why?**

**Sunrise: coz it amuses me**

***D'Artagnan runs past chased by D'Artagnan***

**Poppy: I'm going to make sure he doesn't kill him.**

**Sunrise: that's probably for the best. **

**Poppy: Yep.**

**Wow so this is my longest chapter, 4,340 words, Woot. And yeah if any of you have siblings (I have two brothers) you know that that last bit can happen, and as funny as it can be brothers do get fucking heavy and annoying.**

**Also I'm always open for tips especially about all that jazz at the start of the chapter.**

**As always Reviews keep me going, if off to find a cold shower, not that it ever helps.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sunrise: *Sorry guys, sorry sorry, i uploaded the wrong chapter here's the right one**

**Longer apology at the end for my absence. **

**Poppy: "Well it's about time"**

**D'Artagnan: "No shit"**

**Poppy: "well come on, get to it!"**

**Oh and I've changed the ending to the last chapter so you might want to read that again, it was really annoying me.**

Another week had passed quietly and tediously on the road. There had existed some awkwardness between Poppy and Aramis the morning their party left the cosy town. Especially when Athos handed back the knife from the hall, Philippine blushed profusely after glancing at Aramis shyly. Luckily for her D'Artagnan was still being thick-headed about the whole affair and thought her blush was her face reddening from remembered anger at being dragged away from the entertainment. He thought the she must have thrown the knife at him as a display for being able to look after herself. Poppy's face had gotten even redder as Aramis brushed passed her, raising a few eyebrows at her newfound nervousness around the man, it verged on the realms of skittish. But these things were overlooked as it became obvious that whatever had transpired between them had resulted in a semblance of peace. No longer was there tension filled silences and random arguments between Aramis and Philippine, no longer was Philippine attacking Aramis on every front for stupid little things. It was almost too quiet. At least now there was almost a calm over the camp. Everyone but D'Artagnan could see that the dynamic had changed dramatically. What they didn't see was Poppy's uncertainty of what everything now meant. What her thoughts were telling her and what her body was compelling her to do were two entirely different things.

The camp was made for the night only half a day's ride from their destination but the darkness was thickening and they would barely be able to see the road if they had continued on. There was silence, only disturbed by the rustle of trees, the odd crack from the fire, or the snort of a horse. They were calm as the fire blazed and warmed their chilled bodies as they ate their evening meal. Most minds were focused on how grateful they were that they soon wouldn't have to ride on their saddle sore butts or that they would soon have a warm meal and hopefully a proper bed. Most thoughts were on the simple things which any traveller wishes for, but not Poppy. She had put on a 'happy' face around her companions. She laughed and talked to everyone, continuously blushing around Aramis, especially as he now took to lifting her down from Storm's back or brushing a stray hair behind her ear at odd moments. D'Artagnan continued to be his self-inflicted blind self. During these moments she vividly remembered his bruising kisses and dexterous fingers, but when left alone with her own thoughts she became almost ashamed of her responses. Not because she viewed them as bad, to her anything that felt that good could not be sin, but because of the many other reason she came up with daily. She felt guilty for feeling so happy around Aramis. She was saddened, confused and insecure because she thinks that he may be regretting touching her. She knows this is a stupid thought but it is there all the same. Thoughts just like this continuously circled around in her mind, tormenting her all week. She didn't know what to do or what to say. Poppy had never felt this wanting to be with someone before. There were always people that tried, like the guys at the inn, but they had always been drunk and sounded almost desperate. They chased anything that looked good in a skirt… while in the dark… on a moonless night with no fire… and they were blind. It was insulting that only in that situation would they resort to her. Poppy had never wanted to be with someone who wouldn't remember who she was in the morning, let alone cared in the first place. She had never thought of herself as being married, girls her age already had children, she never thought that that life was for her, never wanted it, she'd rather be out riding then cooking, it just wasn't for her. But Aramis was changing her. She still didn't want children right now, didn't want to be tied to a piece of land waiting for someone to come home, she didn't want to rely on someone, but she did want Aramis in her life. What he bought had altered her perspective, and she didn't like it, it was changing her, she hadn't been this uncertain in years.

Poppy tried to shake herself from these spinning thoughts. Luckily the concentration was broken by Athos telling Planchet, to yet again, 'shut up'. She smiled weakly at Planchet and wondered what he had said this time. Looking around at her friends snickering quietly in the fire light she found that she was not just with these people because they had almost a quest and she needed their help, but because she was actually happy around these people. These idiotic, fantastic people made her a happier, more relaxed person then she had been since childhood. She could let down her guard around them and trust them not to throw it back in her face, to judge her just because she didn't do what was expected of her. For some stupid reason they accepted her.

Philippine made the decision that she wasn't going to ruin this with her overthinking and self-doubts. She was now determined to get her answers, then at least she would know where she stood instead of just speculating.

Poppy got up from her spot on her bed roll and walked around the outside of the circle to squat down next to Aramis and quietly speak to him.

"Hey Aramis?" Poppy asked.

"Yeah" Aramis said carelessly not looking up from the piece of horse tack he was oiling.

"Can I talk to you for a minuet?" she asked getting more and more nervous.

"We are talking" Aramis replied absentmindedly working on a particularly tough spot.

"Idiot" Poppy heard Athos mutter into his wineskin behind her. Her face flamed, she contemplated just leaving it at that and going back to her roll to sulk. As she was becoming more and more embarrassed her anger was quick to kick in, it was better to attack then defend.

"No" she hissed quietly "we need to talk, now."

Aramis must have heard the anger in her voice because he finally looked at her. The fire lit her eyes making the blue shine and highlighting the spark of anger in them. He couldn't help but think of how good she looked when angry, the way her cheeks flushed and her whole attention became focused on one thing, and sadly that thing was now him. Aramis fought the urge to forget everything and just pull her into his arms to ravage those full lips. To thrust his tongue the way he wanted other parts to be inside her, but he couldn't do that, not her, not now, especially not with her brother mere meters away. He didn't fancy dying before he had her.

"Alright" Aramis said remembering his voice.

Poppy stood up as he put away the tack and followed her a short distance into the trees for some semblance of privacy. For the whole of the short walk Aramis could only think about the events of the past week. Nothing much had happened but he had been finding himself smiling at odd moments and realised that it was because he had been looking at or thinking of her. Thinking of her smell, her smile, and the way she laughed and walked. How her brow would crinkle when her brother annoyed her, how she would smirk when she would make a private joke to herself or was about to make a witty comeback and completely cut down someone's argument on some trivial matter. Aramis had never felt or thought like this about a woman before, even the ones he thought himself infatuated with, in love with, in his boyhood.

_Is that what I am? Am I in love with her?_ He asked himself.

Before he found the answer within himself Philippine had stopped walking and turned to him.

"We need to talk" was all she said.

The dread very quickly settled in the pit of his stomach, everything he had ever said or did wrong flashed across his mind. His mother used those words once, it was when he had accidently broken her favourite table, and he had never been that scared in his life, until now.

"Where are they off to?" asked D'Artagnan as he watched his sister's angry walk followed by Aramis looking like a lost puppy.

"Don't worry" said Athos not looking away from the fire.

"But what are they -" D'Artagnan asked gesturing at the two fading people.

"Just drop it boy" Athos said looking up at him through the fire "he won't hurt her"

_With the look on her face I would bet my wine that he'll be the one coming back limping_. Athos thought.

"Why would he hurt her? Why were they even talking? What is going on here?" D'Artagnan held onto his little delusion with both hands and wasn't letting go.

"God you're thick" Porthos said.

"I don't –"

"They are together boy" Athos said realising that the only way D'Artagnan was going to acknowledge it was happening was by being blunt.

"Huh?" D'Artagnan made the unintelligent noise of question.

"I think it's quite nice Mr Aramis finding someone" Planchet said.

"Shut up Planchet" Athos said watching D'Artagnan closely, close enough that he actually saw the moment when it clicked for the boy and he admitted it to himself.

"No, no, no, no, not my sister, never going to happen" D'Artagnan rambled.

"Too late kid" Porthos half laughed at his fallen expression.

"What?!" D'Artagnan quickly got up and walked quickly after his sister and not-for-very-much-longer friend.

"This is not going to be pretty" Planchet said watching him leave.

"For once Planchet you may be right" Athos commented. None of them got up as they heard what sounded like a scream from a little girl.

"10 francs says it was D'Artagnan" Porthos muttered to the fire.

Aramis walked behind Poppy for a short while, when they were out of earshot from the camp, but could still see the glow of the fire through the trees. She stopped and turned to him, not saying anything as she looked at her hands allowing her untamed hair to fall around her face. Aramis waited for her to begin, unsure of what it was she wanted to speak about. He racked his brain trying to think of something he had done wrong, something he might have said. He thought he had been a perfect gentleman, made sure he wasn't too forward, and had given her time to get used to him. As much as he wanted to touch her more, to feel those perfect lips again, he didn't think she would appreciate him doing that in front of friends and family. He was knocked out of his own thoughts when she cleared her throat, signalling she was ready to talk.

"I've been thinking, probably over thinking-" she began before Aramis so eloquently cut her off mid-sentence.

"Do you regret it?" He blurted out.

"Excuse me?" she said raising an eyebrow as he interrupted her slightly prepared speech.

"Do you regret it, me, do you regret me?" At her now very confused look he continued. "What we did, at the inn, you don't regret it do you?"

"No" she said quickly, her shoulders slumping slightly "and that's part of the problem."

"How?" Aramis was bemused by this.

"Because we're meant to be rescuing my parents! How can I be happy when they are suffering? It isn't right!" As she spoke her voice broke in places and by her last statement she was barely holding back tears.

"Shh" he said slowly moving towards her "it's alright"

"No it's not! I shouldn't be feeling this – this happy when they're in trouble! God, I'm so selfish for being like this, I don't know why you want to be around me!" Poppy said wrapping her arms around herself.

"You're not-" He tried to tell her how strong he though she really was but she cut him off.

"Yes I am and you know it!" she was damn near hysterical now, her eyes watering uncontrollably.

Aramis realised words wouldn't get through to her so he decided on actions instead. Poppy was startled out of her self-pity as strong arms came around her, pulling her into his hard chest.

"No" she said trying to struggle away.

"For once can you just shut up and let me help" Aramis said tightening his grip around her.

"Let go" she said still struggling in vain with her arms trapped between their chests.

Aramis sighed, not letting her go, he gently pulled her hair, his hand fisted in the locks at the nape of her neck, until she looked up at him.

"You think too much, so much that you overthink your own happiness and your insecurities try to destroy it. Stop thinking." He stated staring into the glistening blue eyes.

"I don't know how" Poppy said.

"Then I'll make you" and with that he captured her lips with his own.

Poppy gasped at the contact she hadn't felt in what seemed like years and he took full advantage, plunging his skilled tongue to duel with her own. Aramis held her head as he ravaged her mouth, making her moan and gasp in his arms. He continued to pull her tighter against him, trying to make them as close as possible while slowly moving her backwards to a nearby tree. Poppy's fingers had somehow become tangled in his hair, pulling him away yet trying to bring him closer at the same time. She couldn't think with how tight he was holding her, with his tongue taunting her, with him being so close and yet so far underneath their stupid clothing.

_Screw going slow_. She thought, all she wanted was to feel his skin on hers. She didn't want to be alone anymore, she wanted him and she wanted him now. Poppy ran her fingers around his neck to reach under his arms and trail them down his back. The hand which was not buried in her hair, was now squeezing and moulding a globe of her behind in his long fingers bringing her hips closer to his own, she could feel his arousal pressing intently against her stomach. Just as her back finally hit a tree, she reached the hem of his jacket and his untucked shirt. She slipped her fingers beneath to feel the warm taunt skin of his back. Aramis jumped as though burned, breaking the kiss but not going far.

"No" he said opening his eyes and looking at her.

"Yes" She said simply reaching up on her toes to reach his bowed head and resumed kissing him softly

"But I think-" he said against her, not breaking away this time.

"No thinking remember" Poppy said moving her hands around to his front feeling his muscles tense and relax against her fingers until she was able to feel his well-defined abdominals. She bought her palms up his chest, bringing his shirt and open jacket with it. The cold against his exposed shin making Aramis shiver slightly as she continued to kiss him. Her hands felt so good on him, he couldn't stop her even if he wanted to.

"Shit" he said with a growl. Aramis dropped his hand from her hair, both hands now reaching down to the tops of her thighs. Pressing her back and lifting her, Aramis wrapped her legs around his waist so she was level with him and deepened their kiss with a ravenousness he had never felt before.

At this new position Poppy couldn't help but moan, she had no idea how good it would feel having a man between her legs. His muscles tight against her core making her try to squeeze her legs for more friction.

Aramis unbuttoned her vest and went for the hem of her shirt. He was just about to run his hand up to her breast when a shrill scream broke through the quiet. Aramis turned slightly to look over his shoulder, expecting a find a small child who had stumbled upon them. Instead he was shocked to see his young friend whose face was now the shade of a ripe tomato.

"Who is it?" asked Poppy as she attempted to look around Aramis' broad shoulders.

Aramis hung his head with a bit of embarrassment but mostly defeat, "it's your brother" he said quietly.

Poppy tensed, remaining completely still for a few heartbeats before untangling her legs from him and sliding herself down his frame. Aramis only just bit back a moan. She stepped out from behind him and silently thanked whatever god was listening that Aramis had been unable to undo her shirt.

"Hey 'Tagnan" she said not looking the statue that had become her brother in the eye, there was no response. "'Tagnan? Say something." Poppy said quietly as Aramis turned to stand behind her. He shivered as a cold wind chilled his skin and caught tendrils of Poppy's hair to wrap around her face and neck. He realised he should find his shirt but he refused to leave her, he would protest this small woman, even from her family.

D'Artagnan finally swallowed heavily and blinked at the scene before him. At Poppy's tangled hair, her creased clothes, brushed mouth and blushing cheeks, but what he could see most was the light in her eyes. Even in the darkness they glowed, capturing the light of the moon as it made its way through the branches of the trees. In that moment she was enthralling, stunning, surreal, she looked happy if not embarrassed.

D'Artagnan swallowed the large lump in his throat before he attempted to speak. "Have you-" he began with the first question that sprang to mind.

"No" she replied quickly mid question, shaking her head.

"Will you?" He asked fearing the answer

"Think so" she replied

"When?" D'Artagnan didn't know why he was still talking, why he was asking questions he didn't want the answer to, why couldn't he just shut up?

"You really want to know?" Poppy asked in disbelief.

"Not really" he finally admitted.

"You good?" she asked worried now.

"Nope, still breathing though" D'Artagnan was concentrating very hard on breathing.

"That's something" She said nodding her head while looking at his pale face

"Yep" he agreed

"Need a minuet?" She asked now scared that he was going to hyperventilate

"Yep" D'Artagnan said again

"Kay" Poppy said, a few minutes past in silence as Aramis watched the twins speak and D'Artagnan concentrate on breathing. Although Aramis was hearing both sides of the weirdly calm conversation, the short questions and responses made him feel like he was only hearing half of what was being said.

"Why him?" D'Artagnan said breaking the silence and finally looking at the still half naked Aramis.

"Why not." Poppy replied with a slight shrug. Aramis frowned at her, wondering what that statement meant, what did she mean 'why not' and why would D'Artagnan have a problem with him in the first place? _Oh right it's his sister stupid._

"But you're betro-" D'Artagnan tried to reason a reason why she shouldn't be with Aramis.

"Not if I can help it" Poppy said, now Aramis was toughly confused and felt they had moved on to another topic but still couldn't figure out what.

"Have you tried to get out of it before?" D'Artagnan asked the vague question.

"No" Was her only response.

"So why him?" D'Artagnan asked, he was curious now.

"I like him" she stated like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Why?"

_What did he mean why? I'm likeable_. Aramis thought.

"Feels safe" Poppy replied.

_Damn right. _

"Right" D'Artagnan's body finally began moving as he rubbed his face with a clod hand. "They won't let this go, he'll kill you first, both of you."

"He can try" Poppy said with a shrug.

"So the story about the mercenaries?" he queried.

"The last straw" She said with her face hardening in anger.

"Right" he said gulping, that look always scared him, she looked determined.

"I feel as though I'm missing something" Aramis spoke up as the fractured conversation come to a close. "Shouldn't you be angry? Be yelling at me? Done something other than stood there at least."

"He's still in shock" Poppy told him even though she wasn't too sure herself.

"No I'm not, I don't think. I'm not happy about it, it's a stupid god-dammed move on both your parts but Poppy fights dirty, and I don't want worms in my shoes again." D'Artagnan said defeated.

"Worms?" Aramis looked at Poppy.

"Long story, just don't steal my bacon, but I'm as surprised as he is", she tossed her head to indicate Aramis "that you aren't yelling"

"Oh on the inside I am, you're my sister, my little sister-"

"Only by ten minutes" she grumbled

"I'm not meant to see you like that, ever, it's just wrong" he openly shuddered.

"You don't want nieces and nephews someday?" Poppy said teasingly.

"Well yeah, but their meant to be an immaculate conception or something." D'Artagnan said like it was a fact of nature.

"How do you think you were conceived?" Aramis said offhandedly.

"Oh eww" D'Artagnan said screwing up his face in disgust.

"Honey no, that's just, no" Poppy shook her head while covering her eyes with a hand.

"But-" Aramis was a smart man but was seriously confused by all the turns for this conversation.

"That's disgusting" D'Artagnan said pretending to gag.

"Way over the line" Poppy nodded her agreement. "I'm going back to camp" she said patting Aramis on the chest as she turned and walked away shaking her head.

D'Artagnan stood there another moment looking at him; "why would you say something like that?" he said before slowly following his sister.

"I honestly don't know" Aramis replied quietly.

"Aramis, one more thing" D'Artagnan said just before he disappeared into the darkness; "if you hurt her, in anyway, there will be no force that can stop me from killing you." And with that he returned to camp.

"Bien baiser" Aramis said to the woods as he collected his shirt and jacket. He put both articles of clothing on before heading to camp, he was suddenly very tired and feeling a nasty headache coming on.

To say that Porthos, Athos and Planchet were surprised by the lack of blood was an understatement. If they had been standing, they would have fainted in shock (not that any of them would admit to ever fainting). D'Artagnan sat with his head in his hands when he reached his bed roll, he groaned quietly to himself every now and then, and it began to worry Athos.

"Boy? What's wrong?"

D'Artagnan sighed but didn't remove his hands from his face, "just wishing I could erase the last 10 minutes."

"That bad?" Porthos asked.

"Mental images that will haunt me for a life time" D'Artagnan said gravely.

"I still don't know why he would say such things." Poppy said quietly startling the group, they had been so focused on D'Artagnan's reaction they hadn't seen Poppy come back or curl up near the fire.

"Because he's an evil git that strives to scar innocent people for-" D'Artagnan started on his tirade of what he now thought was wrong with Aramis.

"Don't make me out to be a demon because I said your parents-" Aramis tried to defend himself as he came back to the fire.

"Don't even go there" D'Artagnan said pointing in Aramis' direction.

Athos, Porthos and Planchet were startled once again as Aramis had silently made his way to his own bedding. What they didn't fail to notice was the state of his crumpled dirty shirt and jacket which now had wet leaves stuck to the leather of his sleeves, back and collar. A meaningful glance was shared between the three as wet patches in the front of Aramis' shirt were also noted.

"So it didn't go too bad then little one" Porthos said quietly to Poppy.

"That part? No, that was fine, what came next…" she trailed off.

"Before or after the snogging?" Porthos asked noting her bruising lips and stubble scraped chin.

Poppy blushed "After"

"I was only stating that-" Aramis tried to talk to Poppy about what he had said.

"Not talking to you" Poppy grumbled turning her back to him. She was still trying to get rid of the mental pictures.

"D'Artagnan?" Athos asked turning his inquisitively raised brow at his friend.

"It's weird, and I really don't need to see what they were doing again… ever again. But saying that… it's just wrong." D'Artagnan shuttered again, his head still firmly in his hands.

"What did he say?" Planchet asked.

"Never you mind honey" Poppy said lying down.

"But-" Planchet really wanted to know.

"Go to sleep" Poppy said closing her eyes.

"But what-"

"Everyone sleep" Poppy growled through clenched teeth, she was very sick of thinking about this conversation.

"Whatever you said" Porthos whispered to Aramis "just don't say it again"

"Sleep!" Poppy commanded, this day needed to end, now.

And the boys did just that, they weren't game enough to argue with a sleepy, moody, Poppy.

Bien baiser : well fuck

**So I haven't updated for a while and I am very sorry for that. I decided to actually concentrate on Uni work this semester, and well, it worked. My grades went up so it wasn't all for nothing. That combined with pulling more shifts at work has left me little time to work. Also the end of the last chapter has been annoying me something fierce so I think I'm going to go back and change it so you might want to go back and read over it (I'm going to put this at the start, that would probably be a better idea), saying that I've been reading over other chapters and decided that when this is finished I'm going back over it and editing so hopefully it will flow a bit more smoothly. **

**Anyways I'm not going to abandon this story, it will eventually get done, I might take a while but it will get done I promise you.**

**As always I love reviews and any theories of what you think is going to happen, or not happen. Hell you can even flame me, I might not listen but you can do it anyway if that's how you get your jollies. Anyway more action is coming up so stay tuned.**

**And yeah winter in Adelaide, lots of rain, so I'm staying where it's warm, so inside with a computer and TV and heater and chocolate. So lots of writing. :) **


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